Finding Rupert
by RixxiSpooks
Summary: Another Prophecy, but this time it doesn't bode so well for the Pevensies as the Kings and Queens of Narnia. One small boy may cost them their kingdom and their lives. Please read and review! Movie-verse. OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own either the books or the film. DON'T SUE!**

**Author's Note: This is my first Narnian fic so be nice and bear with me whilst I get to know the characters. I know that this story will probably seem similar to all the other OC of other children appearing in Narnia and meeting the Pevensies but I'm trying to be original and make mine different. Tell me if I'm going wrong.**

**This is set a couple of years after the defeat of the White Witch so the kid's haven't been on the throne that long. Ooh, also, its set mainly on the movie version of Narnia as that's what I can remember and love. **

She was in a forest and she had no idea how she got there. Her ears were assaulted by noise: shouting, barking, screaming, horses shrieking, crying. Around her the trees were alive with men, masked men, with swords and axes and nasty grins. Several times an animal would rear too close to her and she would dodge to avoid it – her own screams ringing in her head. A sweaty palm was clutched tightly in hers, so small it was completely enveloped in her grip. She could not let go. Fate didn't seem to be on her side though as she felt tiny fingers slip from her own with a cry of anguish. The heat left her hand and she yelled with confusion and anger, desperately groping the air for the lost contact. He was gone.

Suddenly, the world that had once been chaotic and scary seemed to melt away and she was left, standing alone in the middle of the forest. They had all gone, vanished as quickly as they had come, into the trees. Her heart still thumped loudly in her chest but she didn't feel like she was alive. She felt empty and hollow. A lump formed heavily in her throat, constricting her airway and making it difficult to breathe. She didn't want to breathe though. All she could think was that she'd lost him – failed him.

With all her energy spent, she slumped onto her knees, hoping never to have to get up again. Her predicament, her life seemed too confused, unreal and foreign. How had all this happened? She held her head in her hands in despair.

Something wet nosed her cheek and she raised her head slowly, unable to quite believe it. A pair of sombre, brown eyes stared back at her – full of empathy and comfort.

"_Barney_."

Head cocked in a questioning manner, the dog responded to his name. Tentatively, aware of his human's distress, he licked her salty skin and nuzzled her gently. She drew a deep, harsh breath that caused her entire frame to shudder like a leaf in the wind. He whimpered, fearful that she would break. Fortunately, she didn't, she just smiled sadly at him and then threw her arms around his furry neck.

"Oh, Barney," she whispered his name again. Maybe all was not lost. She was no longer alone; she had her faithful companion, her dog. This world was not completely alien. It was time to pull herself together.

Clambering gingerly to her feet, the girl kept a hand on the animal's golden back - that way she could stay anchored and supported. Once upright, she looked around her at the dark forest of ominous trees and tried to remember.

She had been in her bedroom, she was sure of that. She had gone to bed at the correct time, Mother always made sure of that, and snuggled beneath her layers of quilts in an attempt to get warm in the cold night. Then she had dozed for awhile only to wake and hear a noise. Or maybe the noise was what _had _woken her. As she couldn't quite work out what was making the sound, she followed it from her room. Creaking down the landing she came to the white door that led to her little brother's room. When she had pushed the wood open she had been shocked to find a man in there. He was masked and dressed in strange clothes. That was what she noticed first and then she saw he had her brother's hand and was dragging him from his bed.

"What are you doing?!" she had demanded and dived forward just as the intruder turned and spotted her. His eyes widened and he shouted something intelligible, as her fingers caught her brother's. That was when she appeared in the forest. How? She had not a clue. Neither did she know how Barney, the family pet, had come to be there either. Not that she was complaining.

Looking round, she felt at a loss once more, everywhere looked black and the same. She could see no sign of an end to the continuous blanket of trees. Still, there was only one way to find a way out and that was to move – in what ever direction. Grabbing for her dog's sleek back again she made her way forward.

Having been kidnapped from her own at night, the girl did not have the best clothing for a trek through an unknown forest. She was dressed in a flimsy nightgown and was barefoot. Unfortunately, she had not had the forethought to pop on her slippers. So soon the soles of her feet were littered with cuts and scratches caused by the numerous sticks and stones on the ground. She resorted to hopping after awhile, cursing fluidly under her breath – not that anyone could hear except Barney but she was well brought up.

* * *

As the night drew on, the traveller in this mysterious forest became more and more weary, her legs ached and her body was cold – gooseflesh rippled across her skin. Her mind was addled with treacherous and paranoid thoughts as her eyes picked out menacing shadows and shapes in the undergrowth. Each rustle and crunch from nocturnal creatures caused her to jump and her heart beat to increase. Barney was her only relief; his warm, strong presence offering reassurance and protection. Occasionally he would growl at some noise or other in an effort to scare whatever had made it off.

Despite her pet's best efforts, the girl still longed for daylight and the morning that seemed so distant.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the thick canopy, bathing her sleeping face in a warm glow. She flinched slightly, her eyes flickering open as she woke. Somehow she did not remember falling asleep but obviously exhaustion had overcome her. Beside her, his furry form pressed against her hip, Barney lay as a guard to anything unsavoury that would have come visiting in her unconsciousness.

Finding that her limbs ached with unfamiliar pain after the night's adventures, the girl rose carefully to her feet. As she wrapped her bare arms around her ribs; she attempted to warm herself up. It had little effect. Shivering slightly, she patted her dog on the head and began walking again. Maybe exercise and movement would raise her body temperate.

Wincing as she put pressure on her battered feet, the girl padded with dogged determination. She had no idea where she was headed but anywhere would be better than this forest. Maybe then she could find civilisation and call the police so they could locate her missing brother.

"Barney!" she called softly as he went rootling away in the undergrowth. His wagging tail could be seen sticking out from a thicket – waving like a golden flag. Suddenly, before she could register what was happening, the animal let out a frightened yelp and jerked backwards. He barked in the direction he had just come, hackles raised. "Barney? What is it? What's wrong?" The animal ignored her, whining in a high, unsure pitch.

And then a fox prowled out of the shrubbery, his pointed head held high and his russet face full of unhidden contempt. With bright, amber eyes he surveyed the dog barking at him with distaste.

"Aw, Barney, it's just a fox, why are you making such a fuss? Just chase it off," the girl scolded, losing interest.

"I'd like to see him try." The voice seemed to come from nowhere – sly and dripping with mockery. The stranger to the forest whipped round, her eyes wide with bewilderment and fear. There was no one around except for the fox. She stared at him disbelievingly. No, she mentally berated herself, don't be stupid, animals can't… "Just a _fox _am I?" ….talk. Staring with shock, she was certain she had seen the fox's mouth move.

"I-I…" she murmured, disconcerted.

"Just because I am a fox doesn't mean I'm worth anything less than, say, a badger. They get all the credit. So do the beavers. I don't understand why our kind is viewed with such disgust. We are not vermin!" The indignation in the creature's tone was unmistakable. "I'll have you know my father was a soldier to Aslan himself!"

"But…."

"The cheek! _Just _a fox!"

"I'm sorry, okay?!" The girl finally made herself heard, shouting over the fox's rant, obviously she'd struck a cord.

"You should be," the creature finished grumpily. However, an unnervingly bright smile flashed across his sharp teeth. He cocked his head, a gesture not dissimilar to the one Barney had completed the previous day. This though, was much less adorable; more calculating. "You look scared? What's wrong Daughter of Eve?"

"I can't believe this is real. Maybe this is all a dream, maybe Rupert isn't missing after all…"

"Who's Rupert?"

"None of your business," the girl snapped, realising she shouldn't be confiding her innermost secrets to a wily fox; especially one who had the ability to speak.

"No need for hostility, human, I don't pose any danger to you…yet," he added with a wolfish grin.

"Where are we?"

"Narnia of course. How can you not know where you walk?"

"It's a long story."

"I have time," the creature replied, "But first, introductions...my name is Sharp."

"Hattie," the girl offered cautiously. She had no idea what was going on but this fox seemed to know what he was talking about – not that he should be talking at all, though she decided to surpass that thought. Maybe he would know a way out of the forest.

"Nice to meet you, Hattie," Sharp bobbed his scarlet head and then turned his snout towards Barney who, throughout the entire exchange, had sat by watching warily, his usually friendly eyes narrowed. "And who are you?" The girl was startled by his address of the dog but realised that maybe here – Narnia, or whatever it was called – it was common for animals to talk. However, Sharp certainly wouldn't be getting anything out of Barney. It could be amusing to watch even so. She crossed her arms expectantly.

As suspected, the golden canine offered no answer to the question posed to him. He merely looked puzzled. Sharp moved closer, his shoulder blades rising alternately as his forelegs dipped.

"What's the matter, dog? Cat got your tongue?!" The fox let out a barking laugh at his own joke but looked severely put out when he received still no reaction. He turned to Hattie. "What's the matter with him?"

"He doesn't speak," she answered with a tinge of humour to her voice.

"_Doesn't _speak?! How strange! Is he mentally challenged? Or just dumb?" Barney seemed to understand the gist of the fox's insults as he growled quietly, furry coat prickling with irritation.

"He's _normal_," Hattie retorted, reaching down and pressing a reassuring hand on the dog's broad head.

"Ignorant you mean," Sharp mocked, his amber eyes lighting with delight. He lifted a dark paw and batted at Barney's head. The usually stoical animal snapped, angrily. "And a little violent it seems."

"Leave him alone."

"All right, though what's the point in a dog that can't speak? Pretty useless in my opinion."

"I didn't ask for your opinion," the girl said, coldly, but then realised that she needed to remain on Sharp's good side if she was to escape this forest and find Rupert. "Anyway, I'm not familiar with the area, as you can tell. I need to find my brother, he was abducted by these men and I don't know how to get out of the forest. You seem like a nice…fox….so I was wondering, could you help me?"

Sharp stared at her for a long few seconds, as if weighing up his options, his yellowish-orange eyes unreadable. His ears twitched a couple of times and finally he seemed to come to his decision.

"An abducted brother you say? Well, tell you what, as I'm in a kindly mood, I'll not only lead you out of the forest but I'll also take you to some people who can help you."

"The police?!" Hattie asked, hopefully.

"The-what? No, the Kings and Queens of Narnia of course."

**There you go, my first chapter, I hope you liked it and my characters. I especially like Sharp for some reason, probably because he's a bit mysterious and unpredictable. You will see more of him :D Please review! I will introduce the Pevensies soon. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! :0**

**Author's Note: Thanks to my one reviewer :D LilaGirl, this is for you! I hope you enjoy it. :)**

"In retrospect, I bet you wish you hadn't done that." The bishop was quickly whisked away by a passing knight.

"Retrospect? Big words for a small person."

"I'm not small! I'm eleven!"

"Age has nothing to do with it, you're still small," the boy teased his little sister, his dark brown eyes sparkling with mirth. She scowled at him and then stuck her pink tongue out. "Ooh, I'm so offended."

"Just play the game, Edmund," a voice called from the other side of the room where a young woman was sitting on a low-slung velvet couch reading a book. She offered him a raised eyebrow when he glanced over at her with an annoyed expression.

"I will if you don't interfere and go back to your book," Edmund stated.

"It's difficult to concentrate with you two squabbling all the time. I thought you'd grown out of taunting Lucy," Susan sighed, brushing a mahogany curl from her face and closing her book.

"I could never grow out of that!" The boy grinned at his sister. "It's what big brothers are for."

"Yeah," Lucy piped up, "What use is he otherwise?"

"Very little," Susan agreed.

"Hey!" Edmund yelped indignantly, rising to his feet from where he had been sitting playing chess with his sibling. As he moved, his knee knocked the board and sent several gold pieces flying. For a moment he stared at the fallen knight who had landed head down on the tiled floor and then, seemingly coming to the decision that he'd had enough of playing chess and being mocked by his sisters, he left.

"Aw, Ed, come back, we didn't mean it!" Lucy ran quickly after her older brother, her young voice tinged with worry, she didn't like upsetting people. It wasn't in her nature. She had thought he would take it as a joke. What with his constant jibing of her wasn't it fair that she got to rib him back?

As the chestnut haired child rounded the corner of one of the many corridors which created the maze that was Cair Paravel, she found her feet leaving the ground with frightening speed and she let out a shriek of surprise, closing her eyes in fear. When she cracked them open again she found she was in the strong arms of her brother. He grinned at her cheekily, the smile he seemed to reserve for only his siblings.

"Edmund!" Lucy began in an overly bossy voice, pointing her finger – ready to tell him off – but then she felt a rumble of a laugh mount in Edmund's chest which travelled up and out of his mouth with such violence she felt herself shake in his grip.

"You're face," he spluttered. Then Lucy found herself begin to giggle too. Her brother could be severely irritating at times but he was very funny and she loved him for it.

Their laughter tailed off and Edmund placed his younger sister on the ground with a flourish.

"There you go, your little majesty," he smirked and received a good natured smack on the arm for his words.

Just at that moment someone strode down the corridor, their tough leather boots thudding on the stone floor.

"Peter," Lucy smiled at her eldest brother, "Tell Edmund that he's just….very annoying." She finished lamely and frowned, her usually smooth forehead crinkling with the expression.

High King Peter let out a bark of a laugh, his eyes glancing from his brother to his sister who were both staring at him: Lucy with irritation and Edmund with amusement. They were never going to co-operate, he could tell. It was the curse that came with being the two youngest in the family. He was just glad their bickering wasn't serious – it was light-hearted and friendly – borne of years of the same company.

"Yeah, Pete, tell me I'm 'just very annoying'," Edmund echoed Lucy's words with uncanny accuracy.

"I'm sorry, but I don't I should get involved," the man replied, running a hand through his blonde-brown locks.

"Yeah, don't want to show bias to your subjects, right?" Edmund smirked at his sister who shrugged.

"He likes me better than you, anyway."

"You wish," the dark haired boy suddenly lunged forwards and once again grabbed the girl, tickling her mercilessly. Lucy spluttered with a mixture of indignation and shock as she tried to wriggle free unsuccessfully.

Peter watched his siblings play fight and sighed, sometimes he wished to be just as carefree again. Yes, they were all Kings and Queen's of Narnia, bound to the country not only by a prophecy but by love of it and all their subjects; however, he was the eldest and bore the brunt of all the responsibility. As High King he was expected to govern the land, please the people and make alliances with other nations. It was as easy as it sounded.

At the age of nineteen, Peter still felt like he was a child, dumped with all this unwanted attention and duty for which he had no desire. Well, that wasn't quite true; there were some advantages and pleasures of being High King of Narnia. He got to solve people's problems – resolve feuds and bring peace to quarrellers – he got to meet animals and men alike that loved and revered him. That was quite an honour. Also, he had the luxury of living in a palace, that couldn't be a bad thing. Though, he remembered their tiny family home in Finchley and felt a twinge of homesickness.

There seemed to be an awful lot of downsides to being ruler though, for one there was the endless meetings that ate into all his spare time. Then there were the laws to set and uphold – giving out punishment was something he loathed. He had to liaise with other Kings from other Lands as said before and they weren't the nicest of people to talk to. Still, allies had to be made for the future, just in case this 'Golden Age', as it had been named, was destroyed.

"Peter." A hand waved in his face. "Wake up, dolly-daydream. There's someone here to see you." Edmund, who had drawn him out of his thoughts, gestured to a small sparrow that was perched on a windowsill.

"Your majesty," somehow the sparrow managed to bow, "I bring an urgent message from Foresight the Fawn. He wishes to meet with you, at once, in your chambers for he has some worrying news."

"I will be there as soon as I can," the young King nodded hurriedly and marched off down the corridor. His siblings stared after him sadly, they understood Peter's duty as High King was to attend to all affairs but it had made him grow up too quickly and they wanted their brother back.

* * *

As he swept into the room, Peter caught sight of Foresight, pacing back and forth across the floor, muttering garbled ramblings to himself. His small hooves clip-clopped noisily on the wooden floorboards. When he heard the door shut, however, his head shot up and he stared at his King with worried eyes.

"My lord," he greeted quickly.

"Foresight," Peter nodded back, "The Sparrow said you wished to seem me immediately."

"Yes, sire, I have recently discovered something of great important to you, your siblings and Narnia." Instantly he had the young man's undivided attention for he had just mentioned the two things Peter held closest to his heart: his family and his kingdom.

"Tell me," he said as he sat down on a well cushioned chair, gesturing for the fawn to do the same. The creature declined. Obviously he was too flustered to stay calm in one place.

"There is a Prophesy."

"Another one?" Peter questioned sharply, his mind awhirl with apprehension.

"I'm afraid so, your majesty, and this one does not bode so well for you." The fawn looked terribly frightened of breaking the news to his sovereign for his eyes were as wide as saucers.

Foresight was the….there wasn't really a word for all the jobs he did, but in essence he was a seer, a book keeper and a citer of laws, myths and prophesies. In other words he was almost the Palace Wise-Man. Peter trusted him implicitly and believed everything he was told by the fawn. However, the creature had little faith in himself and often was reluctant to impart wisdom for fear it would be wrong or taken badly. He didn't like being the bearer of awful news. Usually, though, with a bit of coaxing, he would yield.

"I don't care how bad it is, Foresight, just tell me." The King tried to keep an encouraging tone to his voice but was battling with the need to _know_.

"This Prophesy came to me two days ago, I was out with Waffle-Tail, you know the fellow? Anyway, I suddenly came over all strange – as I do when I have my visions – and I began reciting this prophesy. I think I scared poor Waffle-Tail half to death but fortunately the good squirrel had the sense to grab a quill and write it all down for I had forgotten it by the time I said it."

"Clever squirrel," Peter agreed distractedly.

"Here, I have it all written down on this parchment, I will read it to you." The hoofed man pulled a slip of paper from god-knows-where and held it up in front of him. Then he began to read.

"_On the Eleventh Night of Winter, a boy will be born into Narnia. He will be the bringer of bad luck and terrible chaos to all those living here should he not be stopped and sent back from whence he came. Left unchallenged, he will cause to downfall of the Great Kings and Queens of Narnia and the country will once again fall under Dark Magic._"

"And that's it?" Peter breathed.

"That's it," Foresight repeated.

"But the Eleventh Night, that was yesterday."

**Ooh, please review! If you do I will give you a biscuit! Do you think I had the Pevesies in character?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: No, I do not own either the books or the film (or Skandar. Poo.)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to Lilagirl for reviewing especially. Just to forewarn you, I may have messed up the ages of the Pevensies cos I just realised in the book C. makes Edmund and Lucy only a year apart whereas I planned for them to be four or five years apart. Sorry about that.**

"So, how old is this brother of yours?" Sharp asked as he wandered through the undergrowth. His quick eyes spotted a juicy looking beetle scuttling out from beneath a dead log and his head darted forwards so he could snap the creature up in his jaws. The beetle made a satisfying crunch.

When he realised he had still received no reply from his companion, the fox glanced over his shoulder to the track behind him. The girl was an odd one, thought Sharp, she was so fragile looking – she had wavy blonde hair that fell haphazardly onto her shoulders with a kind of gentle elegance and strangely deep brown eyes. He wondered whether she would break if he touched her. Some memory stirred at the back of his mind; the Kings and Queen's of Narnia had had that look of being underfed and sunlight-deprived when they arrived in the country. Maybe this human was from the same place.

Looking at her made him ponder the mission which he'd undertaken. He supposed he may have been slightly hasty in his agreeing to lead the girl as far as Cair Paravel, for that was quite some distance away, but something in his heart told him that what he was doing was the right thing. Lost and clothed in that absurdly thin nightdress, Hattie wouldn't have lasted long alone in the depths of Narnia. Despite what was claimed by the supporters of the sovereigns of the country – in the forest you were far from safe.

The girl walked with a limping gait, her bare feet and ankles smattered with splinters of blood as she picked her way delicately through thorny scrub. Watching her pain, Sharp was thankful for his well-cushioned, padded paws. Obviously, the human was too intent on her navigation of the brambles and bushes that she did not hear his question. He tried again.

"Oi, human, how old is your missing brother?" The sound that left his lips was harsher than he'd intended but it had the desired effect as the girl's head snapped up and she stared at the fox. Every time he spoke she seemed to have that reaction, it was quite unnerving. Had she never met a talking animal before?

"He's seven," she replied, her eyes saddening. Sharp felt guilty for dredging up the subject so he attempted to move the conversation.

"And how old are you?"

"Sixteen as of March," Hattie answered, despondently.

"Sorry, I am unfamiliar with the term…March?" The russet fox had paused in his stride and was waiting for his companion to catch up. It seemed silly to be having a conversation when they weren't even facing each other. When she drew along side him, he began to walk again.

"March, after February? Before April? No?" For a moment the girl looked perplexed and then shook her head as if giving up. "It doesn't matter. How old are you?"

"I am three summers old," Sharp stated almost immediately, his voice swelling with pride. To Hattie it seemed barely anything but obviously it was quite an achievement for a fox.

The pair continued in silence for a period of time. Both felt the conversation had run dry and they didn't know how to rekindle it. Hattie had never been that good at small talk and she reckoned that making small talk to a _fox _was a bit out of her league. Instead, she contented herself with observing Barney, who was rootling around in the bushes and dashing between the trees. To him, this was like a giant walk. Much to her amusement, the girl caught Sharp viewing the galumphing animal with an incredulous expression gracing his pointed features. He didn't seem to be able to believe that Barney could be so seemingly ignorant and pleased by such small things.

Turning her attention from her pet's blundering adventures, Hattie watched the fox glide along beside her. He was wily and knowledgeable. She could tell that much. The way he held himself, constantly alert, his body tense like a taut bow string and his eyes scanning his surroundings for any sign of danger. The animal was very experienced – though that was expected of a wild creature she supposed.

When she thought of foxes, Hattie had always assumed they were nasty vermin who carried disease and messed up the bins. They killed chickens too. However, looking at her new guide, his reddish-orange fur shimmering in the sunlight that shone through the biting cold, she couldn't help think he was nothing like those foxes.

"You're staring at me," Sharp's smooth voice sliced through her thoughts and the girl replied swiftly.

"You were staring at me." She offered the creature a flash of a smile. He looked pleasantly surprised by her quick retort.

"And there I was thinking I was being sly," the fox chuckled.

"Maybe I'm just more observant than you expected."

"Perhaps." With glittering amber eyes, the fox glanced at her and grinned. It was shocking; he was definitely warming to her. There was something undeniably friendly about Hattie. Sharp didn't have many friends so it was a welcome change talking to someone - joking with them - even if they were human. Then something caught his eye. "But perhaps you are not _as _observant as you give yourself credit for. Your dog, he's in a spot of trouble." He nodded in the direction of the animal.

Hattie spun round on her heel and saw Barney sniffing idly around on the floor. He had his black nose to the ground and was giving the scent all his attention so he didn't notice the creature that was looming right in front of him out of the trees. It was huge and black and Hattie had to fight hard not to let out a squeak of fear. The beast had the huge hairy head of what seemed to be a bull but the body of a man or something like a man; it was not completely humanoid for it had hooves. There was a red glint in its dark eyes.

The girl shot her companion a desperate look and he stared back at her with a expression that said 'What do you want me to do? It's your stupid mutt.' She was sure that had Sharp been able to shrug, he would have. This would be down to her. There was no way she was going to lose her dog – her only familiar face from her home – as well as her little brother. It would be too much to take.

With a deep breath, Hattie scurried forwards.

Sharp watched with interested eyes as the young human hurried towards the face of danger. Throughout his entire life, the fox had always been taught by his mother – a world wise vixen – that whatever it took, he should avoid anything that looked risky or would put his own life in jeopardy. 'Look out for number one' she'd informed him 'Your father didn't and look where it got him!' So when he saw the weak girl moving forward to aid her dumb dog he was struck by her courage and loyalty. She was willing to fight a Minotaur in order to save her friend. Was she brave or just plain foolish? He wasn't sure – he'd heard of the humans' audacity when faced with mortal peril but he'd never thought he'd view it first hand. The King's and Queen's were well known for their unparalleled courage.

The blonde haired youth had drawn even closer to her pet and the Minotaur and Sharp held his breath in anticipation. He was almost certain that the huge beast would reach down and cave her skull in with one blow from his massive hand. That would be the end of his responsibility. Some deeply buried emotion in his head told him he should help but he ignored it – the instinct for survival was too strong.

Towering over her at well over seven foot, the Minotaur was a fearsome sight and Hattie wanted to melt into a pool of mush right there but she had to get to Barney. Trying not to make eye contact with the black monster, in case she enraged him further, the girl dived down and threw a frantic arm over her dog's soft, golden back. The canine, still oblivious to its impending doom, licked her playfully. She hissed for him to be still.

All the time she was waiting for the beast to move in for the kill and finish her off. He didn't seem interested in her however. He just gave her a strange, bemused look and then swivelled round on the spot and headed off into the forest. He moved with surprising elegance for such a big thing. Seeing that the Minotaur truly had left, Hattie breathed a sigh of relief, clutching Barney's head to her chest for support.

Instantly, she was aware of a presence by her side, and she glanced over to see the russet fox gazing at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. She was struck by a feeling of annoyance and betrayal.

"_Thanks _for all your help," she whispered, her tone laced with sarcasm. Sharp had the grace to look guilty – sort of. Foxes' facial features didn't lend themselves to looking sorry.

**Please! Please! Review! :(**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thank you very much to Lilagirl and Queen Su for reviewing! Its nice to know someone is reading my story! This chapter is mainly Edmund centric (he is my favourite character all) and there is a smidgen of Susan and Edmund bonding as you dont see that all that often. Read and REVIEW! Please!**

It was raining. Edmund stared out of the window with a sour expression on his face. He hated it when it rained. The wetness and greyness always made him severely depressed. Fortunately, rain was usually a rare occurrence in Narnia – it was either sunny or snowing – so he didn't have to be miserable that often. Rain always brought the day's activities to a halt: he couldn't go riding, he couldn't go sword fighting, and he couldn't go walking. He was confined to the indoors. That wasn't all bad, he could go to the library and do some reading but eventually that became tedious and all he wanted to do was venture outside.

The idea of the freezing cold rain drenching him; soaking his skin until even his bones felt heavy with water, was not the least bit inviting. Whenever he could avoid it, Edmund _never _went out in the wet. What could make rain even worse was if there was a storm, complete with forked tongues of lightning lashing across the darkened sky and thunder booming hungrily overhead. Each time the heavens rumbled, the young King would flinch and beg for sunshine – any kind of relief.

When he was little, Peter had often taunted him for his dislike (even fear) of the rain and storms. He remembered times when his older brother had taken his favourite tin soldier out into the garden and left it there to rust unless Edmund plucked up the courage to go fetch it in. Sometimes Susan would take pity on him and go get it for him. Peter would just laugh.

That was a far cry from the man Peter had grown into now. He was a King – a High King – who ruled the lands fairly and well. He was loved by his people and his siblings. The older boy would never dream of hurting Edmund in such a way again, not after he'd seen what his mocking of his younger brother could do. No one ever mentioned Edmund's fear of rain, not to his face anyway, they just didn't go out when the weather was bad anymore.

Edmund supposed he should really be thinking about more important things rather than his contempt for rain. For instance, he should probably be contemplating the prophecy Peter had imparted onto him last night. Really, something that significant should be consuming all his thoughts – the downfall of the kingdom, it didn't bear thinking about.

After the four Pevensies had taken their thrones at Cair Paravel, no one had ever assumed things would be easy from then on in. Just one example of the obstacles the children had faced was getting their people to trust them, to believe them the rightful sovereigns of Narnia. Peter especially had had a monstrous time of seeking allies in other kingdoms and fighting off opposition to his appointment as High King. Many Narnians had viewed him as too young and inexperienced to lead a country well but somehow, the young man had proved them wrong. It was obviously in his blood and in his nature, because it was his destiny, to rule over his people with success.

Now all that the siblings had fought for was in jeopardy. A prophecy predicted that they could lose not only the kingdom but even their lives. There was no way Edmund would allow either of his sisters to be harmed, nor Peter as a matter of fact – though he was fairly certain the High King could look after himself. Therefore, the four needed to do all that was in their power to defeat this boy who will be '_the bringer of bad luck and terrible chaos'_. Unfortunately, they had no idea who or where he was. All they knew was that he was born on the Eleventh Night of Winter, two days ago, which suggested that he was merely a baby. That didn't make much sense if he was meant to be this evil usurper. However, Edmund knew that one could not always take the meaning of a prophecy at face value, there were often underlying messages and coded clues for one to decipher. Very rarely were prophecies easy to understand – they had learnt that from plenty of Foresight's previous visions.

Still, they needed to be aware and prepared for any attack or information that may come their way.

As Edmund was lost, deep in thought, as he gazed out at the rain, someone entered the room behind him. They cleared their throat politely so as not to startle the young King. The dark haired boy turned, his brown eyes landing on the slender figure of his older sister. She was dressed in one of her flowing gowns and, as usual, looked stunning. This particular dress was sapphire-blue and contrasted beautifully with her pale features. Susan practically floated across the room towards her brother.

He watched her, expectantly, from his perch in the window seat. She sat down elegantly beside him and offered him a small, unsure smile. Hesitant as to how to react, Edmund waited.

"Edmund," Susan began her voice uncertain. The boy looked at her encouragingly. It wasn't often his sister confided in him but obviously something was on her mind so he was willing to help her. "I would have talked to Peter but…"

"He's busy?" Edmund suggested gently.

"Yes," the Queen nodded, "But I needed to speak to _someone_ and Lucy is really too young to understand." Edmund refrained from adding 'so he was the next best thing' and listened intently. Susan glanced at him before taking a deep breath. "This prophecy…it's worrying me, Edmund. I mean all this talk of battling some unknown foe that is destined to defeat us. It just reminds me of when we were told we would fight the White Witch and win….and we did. Will the same thing happen to us? I know Peter has sent out scouts and soldiers to search for this boy but…I'm not sure we're safe."

Edmund observed his sister wringing her hands nervously in her lap. That's what she did when she was tense and fretting. Her voice would remain completely calm and in control but her body would betray her true feelings. She needed his support right now, some words of reassurance. He'd never been particularly good at that but he could try – for his Susan's sake.

"We're the good guys, Su," Edmund said slowly, "The prophecy described this boy as bringing chaos and terror upon Narnia. That's not a good thing. When were told our prophecy it foretold us triumphing for the greater good. Good trumps evil; every time."

"But who's to say we _are _the good side?" Susan asked her voice pained. Edmund wracked his brain for a moment and was glad when his mind suddenly supplied the answer, as clear as day.

"Because Aslan said we were. No one can deny that Aslan is as good anyone can be. What he says is the truth and people believe it…"

"I think we should go home."

"Home?" Edmund looked confused at Susan's abrupt admittance. "This is our home."

"No, Ed, our home was in Finchley, with Mother." The older girl stared at her brother, her greenish-blue eyes trying to get across her point; make her brother understand. "Even if there is a slim chance that we don't beat this boy, I don't want to risk it. I couldn't stand it if any of you were hurt."

Edmund watched his sister with puzzled brown eyes. He understood that she didn't want them to get hurt but to go home, that was unthinkable, _Narnia _was their home. Susan shot him an exasperated look, seeing that she was going to get nowhere with the coal-headed boy, and rose to her feet – the skirt of her dress billowed out around her.

"I will see you at supper," Susan said and left. In her wake she left a very bewildered Edmund who then decided he should go and make himself useful at one of the many meetings Peter held. Maybe that would take his mind off the less pleasant things in his life: like looming death threats and rain.

**Uhm....review and it will truly make my day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note - Thank you very much to Lilagirl, Queen Su and girlbird3! This chapter is dedicated to you. Not a lot happens but I'm trying to make you understand the characters better so bear with me! Sorry, the Pevensies and Hattie do not meet yet! You will have to wait a while longer, I'm building up the suspense! Keep reviewing if you want to see if happen!**

She was soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Icy tremors pulsed through her body and made her teeth chatter violently. The once dry blue cotton of her nightdress was now sodden and darkened by water. It clung to her skin in an uncomfortable way. Hattie didn't usually have a dislike for rain, but being in a forest with water pounding relentlessly down on her exhausted form kind of took the fun out of things.

Sharp wasn't faring much better, she noticed. Where he had once been composed and arrogant, flexing his bushy red tail and prancing along with not a care in the world, he was now just as despondent as her. His fluffy coat was drenched in precipitation – no longer russet and shiny; it was murky brown and slicked onto his back like an overly tight jumper. Amber eyes dulled with misery.

Hattie reckoned that Barney was the only one unaffected by the rain. He lavished in it; his pink tongue enjoyed saturating the rainwater as it fell and he danced around, wagging his tail frantically. Neither of his companions could share in his delight.

"You look like a drowned rat," the girl stated suddenly, trying to liven the mood.

"I don't particularly appreciate that description," Sharp said, looking down at himself and wincing at his dishevelled state, "No matter how accurate it may be." He received a smirk for his final comment.

"Still…" Hattie began.

"I do not revel in being likened to…"

"Vermin," his sentence was finished for him, "I know."

Walking was extremely tiring, Hattie was reasonably fit but not to these endless lengths, she longed for a rest. They had been moving for the last day at least without sleep and it was beginning to take its toll. Her legs ached, her head ached from lack of water and her stomach ached from lack of food. It was all right for Sharp, he could hunt or forage in the undergrowth for insects; she hadn't eaten in days. Fortunately the rain was petering off.

She may be feeling terrible but what about Rupert? Her little brother was lost in this foreign land; in the hands of an unknown captor. It was unlikely that he was being fed; prisoners and abductees weren't usually offered much in the way of creature comforts. Nevertheless, she hoped that maybe her brother's kidnappers may have some humanity remaining in them – enough to give him water at least. Hattie hated imaging the small boy thirsty and starving. An image of his miserable, desperate face flashed through her mind, painfully vivid. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to blot out the picture. Sharp noticed and regarded her curiously but said nothing. He merely continued to pad by her side, offering a kind of quiet calm just with his presence.

Something told the fox they were drawing closer to open space, he could sense the change in air density and the slight shift of light. Spine tingling with relief, the animal darted forward suddenly and grinned as he passed the next line of trees and bounded out onto a beach of shingles. He was followed swiftly by his companion.

Before them stretched a great expanse of blue water – the colour nothing like Hattie had ever seen in her world. The surface rippled, with little eddies and whirlpools of water, as it was buffeted by the breeze. Occasionally a flash of silver or burnt orange could be glimpsed just beneath the waves as the fish of Narnia swam to and fro enjoying the rising water levels. Further on, in the distance, several large hills undulated behind another vast green carpet of trees. In the sky the ominous grey clouds were clearing, making way for the sun to once again reign in the cerulean heavens. The region was truly, _spectacularly_, beautiful. However, that wasn't what mattered to Hattie.

"It's a lake."

"Your observational skills are unparalleled," Sharp commented drily.

"But it's so big," Hattie groaned, as far as she could see, the lake stretched for miles, "Do we have to walk round it?"

"Unless you have suddenly discovered to fly or can walk on water then yes."

"Can't we swim?"

"Are you not wet enough?" The fox gestured to her sopping attire with his pointed snout, "Besides, I wouldn't fancy facing the creatures that live in the depths of that lake with out a boat."

"Can we not make a boat?" Hattie found herself on the receiving end of an incredulous expression. "I guess not," she muttered embarrassedly.

"It's a long way but we can make it in a day," Sharp decided, nodding to himself.

"A _day_? But my brother…"

"Will have to be patient."

The fox trotted delicately off along the shore, picking his way through the pebbles and sticks that had washed up there. Underneath his feet, the ground was still quite wet and therefore slippery. He dreaded to think of the amount of falls he would have to deal with from his companion on this leg of the journey. Just as he thought this he heard a small squeak of shock and he turned to see Hattie looking very self-conscious as she dusted herself off, her cheekbones splashed with red. Sharp sighed exasperatedly. He did not understand creatures that walked on their hind legs, it was ridiculously impractical.

For the third time at least in the last hour, Sharp pondered why on earth he had agreed – suggested even – that he lead this hapless human through the depths of Narnia to seek help from the rulers of the land. At the time it had seemed like a good idea, now he wasn't so sure. The journey was lengthier than he'd assumed because he hadn't taken into account how slow Hattie would be.

Still, it was not like anyone would be missing him no matter how long he was absent. He didn't have a home. A hermit, he lived alone, wandering through the land with little purpose other to survive until the next day. He was a lonely traveller. This was not something he would be willing to share with the human girl however – the dullness of his life was not worth being told.

As he watched the young human step gingerly over a slimy, algae-ridden rock and nearly tumble over again, the creature suddenly knew why he had come across the lost and hopeless Daughter of Eve and why he had had the overwhelming need to guide her in her quest. Sharp wasn't a great believer in fate or destiny, despite the fact the majority of his country thought their lives were governed by a Great Talking Lion, but maybe, just this one time, he would consider the idea that it was his purpose to befriend the girl and aid her in rescuing her missing brother. For once the fox imagined the bigger picture. It was a strange sight that baffled him slightly, for foxes were one of the most selfish, self-centred, self preserving animals in the kingdom, so for him to be observing matters from this perspective was almost unheard of. He decided not to get too used to it.

A slobbery lick on his ear brought Sharp back down to earth with an unwelcome bump and he leapt sideways in an attempt to rid himself of the rough, pink tongue of his assailant. Barney stared at him with those large, soulful brown eyes in a way that to humans would seem ludicrously adorable but to Sharp just meant 'I'm watching you, fox, you put one toe out of line and hurt my mistress…' The slightly curl of the dog's black lip gave away the real meaning of his expression.

The threat was too tempting to retaliate to and Sharp found himself smirking tauntingly as he lurched forward, slamming his small frame into the golden canine's much larger one before careering off down the beach. Barney, startled and annoyed, gave chase.

Hattie watch the large, majestic dog pursue the lithe and agile, russet fox along the shoreline and smiled to herself. Maybe they would get on better now they'd had time to bond. Barney's sharp jaws closed on Sharp's skinny back – or maybe not….

The girl charged towards them, ready to save her new friend from any serious, long-term injury.

**Please review. I am aware I haven't really had Sharp explain much to Hattie in the way of Narnia but that will come next chapter. Yes, Hattie is aware she may not be in her own world anymore but she's just getting used to that so she doesn't need to be buffeted by facts and information. ANYHOO REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Thank you to Queen Su and Lilagirl for reviewing! :D I'm glad you are still enjoying it. Bear with me whilst the action and tension mounts. MOST OF ALL REVIEW! PLEASE!**

The beach was deserted, the sand untouched except by the waves that lapped gently against the shore. A strange pleasure could be taken from being the first person to set foot there albeit only for the morning; as toes dug into the damp, impressionable grain and left a trail of prints along the blank canvas. Sunshine glazed the cerulean waters causing them to shimmer and sparkle well into the distance.

Alone in his walk, Edmund took in all these features that were so uniquely and beautifully Narnian. His brown eyes observed the golden beaches, the sapphire sea and the emerald forest with love. He would never want to give any of it up. Despite what Susan said about wanting to go home for the best interests of the family, _he _wasn't as willing.

What looked like a griffin soared over his head; black against the fantastically blue sky. He followed its path as it arced over Cair Paravel and flew into the distance until it was only a speck on the horizon. When it had vanished completely he shoved his hands deep into his pockets and scuffed up a lump of land with his foot. On the beach, away from the hustle and bustle of the castle was when he could really be alone and vent his feelings. There, you barely ever had a minute to yourself because there was always something to be done or someone wanting to talk to you. Being by the sea and listening to the song of the waves was Edmund's retreat.

In the morning, as said before, was the best time to come and the young king made an attempt to come every day if he could spare the time. That wasn't always possible however. It awakened his mind for the day and allowed him to prepare himself for problems that may arise later on. One of these problems today, for instance, was that of Foresight's prophecy. Edmund knew his elder brother was seriously troubled by it – ever since he had been told he'd walked around with a more tense stature and an extra crease between his brows.

To try and combat whatever the prophecy might entail, Peter had already taken several measures but so far they had proven rather fruitless. He had liaised with a few other kingdoms but they had offered him no information worth hearing. It was severely frustrating. That was one of the main reasons why Edmund had left Cair Paravel, for the seclusion and peace of his beach, because Peter had been plying him with problems and dilemmas for the last day straight. His head was buzzing with all the troubles facing Narnia and its rulers.

"Sire! Sire!" Edmund spun round, kicking up a spray of sand with his heel. He caught sight of a young centaur hurrying towards him, a grave expression on his face. The creature's large hooves left semi-circular prints in their wake, disturbing the smooth golden plane.

"Levitern?" The youth replied questioningly.

"The High King wants to see you immediately." As he heard this, Edmund was already springing into a run, his bare feet churning up the ground.

"Have you any idea why?" he shouted as he sped along. Levitern galloped alongside him, his black eyes wide with worry.

"No, your majesty, I have no idea."

"That's fine. Thank you."

* * *

Edmund barrelled into the main meeting room, where he had been instructed to go, in a very undignified manner. He didn't care. If this was important, then there was little point being concerned with such trivial matters as portraying elegance and grace. In the room already stood his brother, his broad shoulders taut with stress, and Orieus the centaur general. The raven-headed young man was aware of his dishevelled state: hair windswept and wild; feet caked in grains of sand that were trailing on the floor making a mess; and clothes unkempt and speckled with sea spray. Hopefully they wouldn't think too badly of him.

"King Edmund." Orieus offered him a bow. The boy waved him off, eyes fixed on his solemn faced brother. Peter stared back at him for a moment for a moment before opening his mouth.

"We have had a news."

"Of?"

"It may concern the prophecy. Some of our scouts came across some forest-dwelling Narnians who claimed, on the Eleventh Night of Winter, to have seen around one hundred men in the forest."

"_Men_?" Edmund repeated, incredulous. They barely ever had humans in Narnia and if they did they _always _knew about their presence. The Pevensies were usually the only Son's of Adam and Daughter's of Eve in the region.

"Yes. These witnesses stated that the men set up camp in the trees and spent one night there. On that night there was a lot of commotion and they heard screaming and shouting. Some of the trees were almost set aflame by wayward torches. The informants do not know exactly what went on but one of them swore they saw a small boy among the men."

"A _boy_?"

"You know, Ed, it would be some much more productive if you said something worthwhile rather than just repeating me in that tone." The High King shot his younger sibling an annoyed look.

"Sorry…so this boy, you think he could be the one out of the prophecy?"

"I'm assuming. I mean, it all fits. The Eleventh Night and men descending upon Narnia under the cover of darkness – that's not normal and obviously not good."

"But what did the prophecy mean about being born? If he was a boy as you say then surely he cannot have been born that very night?"

"I'm not sure," Peter answered honestly, his blue eyes piercing Edmund's own.

"And what can we do?"

"We need to head out in search of these men and interrogate them as to why they are in Narnia without permission and who the boy is."

"Right, shall I inform the girls then?"

* * *

Lucy hugged her eldest brother tightly and felt her silk slipper-clad feet leave the ground as he lifted her up. She nuzzled his neck affectionately and breathed in his scent – he smelt of pinewood and horses – it was so very Peter. He whispered in her ear that they wouldn't be gone for long and would be very careful.

The small girl hated being split from members of her family, no matter what, so when her brothers had declared they were saddling up and leaving that very day she was not best pleased. However, she smiled and tried to act as if she wasn't scared they might never come back. That thought was too horrible to entertain.

As Peter placed her back on firm ground, Lucy turned to her other brother who had just finished adjusting the straps to his trusted steed, Philip. His features were dark with sincerity and she longed for the old Edmund to reappear even for a moment. She knew the situation was serious but Edmund never let that kind of thing get to him. He remained ever youthful.

She hurried over to him and wrapped her slender arms around his waist. He had grown so tall lately that she could only reach that height and the boy had definitely bulked out muscle wise as she couldn't get her embrace very far round him. Hard sinew got in her way. A quiet chuckle issued from the young king's lips as he was practically attacked by his small sister. Lucy felt, more than heard, the sound for it ruffled the hair on the crown of her head. Her heart warmed to the noise, it meant Edmund was still not completely taken with gravity of the task. His scent was one of the sea: salty and fresh.

"We'll be back soon, squirt, just a couple of days. Its not like we're going off to war," the coal-haired boy joked and kissed Lucy's head.

"I'll still miss you," the girl claimed adamantly, reluctantly releasing him.

"Me too." Edmund spoke as he climbed gracefully into his saddle and Peter did the same with his horse. The two of them looked awfully high seated on their mounts.

"Be careful, both of you, you don't know who or what these men are like," Susan warned them in a mothering tone, her hazel eyes tinged with anxiety.

"We'll be fine, Su," Peter told her and the two youths, with their small band of followers, left the grounds of the palace.

**Ooh, we may be getting closer to a meeting...who knows?! Well, obviously I do...lol....REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Oh my, two chapters in one night, arent you lucky! I just had to write this one because the inspiration overwhelmed me. Thanks for the review, Queen Su!**

"….Anyway, all that's a much shortened history of how Narnia and all its creatures were created. Aslan left after that for a very long period of time in which the White Witch, Jadis, placed herself Queen of Narnia. She made sure it was always winter and never Christmas. She had a thing for ice, cold and snow. There was this magic wand she had that could turn living things to stone. They say she had an entire castle littered with statues of those she'd disliked. My father himself was turned into stone himself. That's not really relevant though.

A prophecy lurked in the minds of all those in Narnia that loathed the Witch's rule of terror. Something about two Son's of Adam and two Daughter's of Eve being the only ones who could defeat Jadis. Then one day they just turned up out of the blue and things started changing. Aslan returned for one thing and began building an army.

The story goes that only three of the prophesised ones made their way to aid him however. One of them, the one they now name King Edmund the Just, betrayed them – he betrayed his own flesh and blood to the White Witch, can you believe that? Still, the others wanted him back so when they reached Aslan he struck up a deal with Jadis. He sacrificed himself for the traitor.

At that, High King Peter went to war with Jadis. He and his brother fought against her with numbers much less than hers and still managed to win. It is said to have been because of the High King's great leadership. Anyway, the Witch was killed and the four siblings took their seats at Cair Paravel as the sovereigns of Narnia. Oh yeah, and Aslan somehow rose from the dead. Not quite sure how that works…."

Sharp tailed off, frowning. Then he seemed to deem it not worth his concentration and fell silent. Hattie watched him for a moment before falling into deep thought. When she had asked for the fox to tell her a bit about Narnia she hadn't expected the entire history. Though it was quite interesting, she had to admit. At school she'd always had a love of history so to learn one as magical and exciting of such a foreign country was brilliant. Especially the way Sharp suggested that they still fought great wars with swords and horses. She loved the medieval parts of history like that – knighthood and famous battles for good causes.

Nevertheless, she was quite shocked by this brother who seemed to have betrayed his family. How on earth could anyone do that, she wondered, she would do anything for _her_ brother. A pang ripped through her heart at that thought and she quashed it immediately, taking a deep breath.

She just hoped that these Kings and Queens would help her find Rupert. Hopefully they wouldn't just take one look at her and ignore her. By the sounds of the tales of Narnia they were, for the majority, good people. Surely they would assist her?

"Hattie, will you tell your dog to stay away from me?" Sharp's slightly anxious voice cut through the girl's thoughts and she glanced over to see him eyeing Barney nervously. The canine was watching him intently. Hattie could see that their little scuffle had really affected the fox's opinion of the 'dumb mutt'. Sharp's russet fur on his back still bore the matted scars of Barney's teeth. No blood had been drawn but the Narnian creature had been severely shaken.

"All right," she laughed, whistling for her pet that bounded joyously over and head-butted her outstretched hand. "Barney, you need to leave Sharp alone, okay?" The dog looked at her bemusedly. She knew he hadn't understood a thing but fortunately he wandered off to sniff around the water's edge instead of scaring the fox any more.

Sharp still eyed him warily. All previous bravado had vanished.

"So…" Hattie said, bending over and picking up a smooth pebble that she stroked for a moment before flinging it out onto the lake so it skimmed across the surface. Barney barked excitedly. "What other sorts of creatures are there in Narnia, other than Talking Animals, I mean?"

"Um…there are fauns….and nymphs, nyiads and dryads, centaurs, giants…"

"Giants?!"

"Yes, I said that didn't I?" Sharp offered her an exasperated expression. "Also…hags, Minotaurs – like you met earlier – oh, dwarves, how could I forget them? And griffins, werewolves, humans – obviously, but not a lot – ogres…" The animal paused, looking pensive. "Oh yeah, the trees are alive. They can hear us."

"Seriously?" Hattie gasped, spinning round to stare, open-mouthed, at the foliage as if it would suddenly move or talk.

"There's Mer-people and dragons…I can't really think of more right now but there probably are more."

"Right…and those would be 'not a lot' of humans?"

"Huh?" Sharp, who had been inspecting the ground for any tasty bugs crawling across the algae-slathered stones, stuck his head up and looked to where the girl was pointing. His amber eyes suddenly narrowed considerably, until they were no more than slits and he smelt the air quickly. Then he spun round to face his companion. "We need to hide. They aren't friendly. I've never seen them in Narnia before but I can tell they are hostile. Move! _Now_!" With his last statement, Snap physically snapped at her heels to make her move.

"Watch it!"

"Move! Unless you want to get kidnapped too or killed," the fox hissed vehemently.

"What? You mean they are the men who have Rupert?!" Hattie questioned, alarmed, as she realised the importance of Sharp's statement. He said nothing but continued to push her into the shelter of the trees. "No, I need to confront them! I need to find Rupert!"

"You'll be no good to your brother dead, Daughter of Eve, now hide!" The fox himself buried his russet coat among the dense undergrowth, blending in so well that had Hattie not known he was there she wouldn't have had a clue. That _was _the point though. Seeing he was right, she dived reluctantly down beside him and waited. Then she remembered. "What about Barney?!"

The pair stared, horror-struck, from their hiding place as they spotted the golden haired dog playing idly by the lakeside. His tail wagged slowly and rhythmically as he wandered about the stones. With his nose to the ground, he was yet to see the men just down the beach. Hattie cursed the animal's inquisitiveness and his lack of awareness. First with the Minotaur and now this! Hopefully, the men will think nothing of him – a lone dog – and believe him just a wild creature of Narnia. _Hopefully_.

Hattie's eyes darted from her vulnerable pet to the approaching men who seemed to be armed with bows and arrows. Her stomach churned uncomfortably. What if they were out hunting for food? What if Barney looked like an easy target? Should she chance a whistle or would it give them away?

Just as she was contemplating this vexing dilemma, she heard one of the men yell. Oh no, they must have seen Barney. The girl's heart was in her throat as she leaned forward in an attempt to get a better view. But they weren't looking at the dog, she saw. The group of five men were observing the sky; seeing what she had no clue because the sun shone glaringly in her eyes. It seemed to have got their attention well and truly distracted so she whistled softly for Barney. The animal's ears pricked and he galloped towards her, tongue lolling happily. Nobody noticed.

As they watched, one man drew his bow, knocked an arrow, and aimed for the heavens. Then, after a moment's pause, he let it loose. The most terrible, blood-curdling, skin-chilling scream filled the air – reaching even as far as their hiding place – and something plummeted to earth. It landed with a painful sounding thud somewhere in the distance, shrouded in trees. Seeming to curse their bad luck at their kill falling some way away, the men decided to leave it and move on. They marched off. Sharp breathed a heavy sigh of relief to her left.

Hattie, meanwhile, was leaping to her feet. She had sped off into the trees behind them without as much as a word. All the fox saw were the pink, muddied soles of her feet vanishing into the dense foliage. Groaning with frustration, Sharp tore after her, closely followed by Barney.

* * *

Tree branches whipped passed her and lashed mercilessly at her face but the girl didn't care. She needed to get to where she'd seen the kill fall. She needed to know what it was. She needed to know whether it was still alive. It was then that she almost stumbled on the object of her thoughts.

To begin with she wasn't sure exactly what it was and whether it was even alive. However, she saw the steady rise and fall of it chest and knew it was not dead yet. The reason she could not work out what the _thing _was was because it was just a mess of tangled limbs. Hattie could not tell one end from the other – she could see no head.

Suddenly it moved and she jumped, her body tensing with fear and anticipation. A head unravelled itself from the rest of the confusion and twisted round to face her. Two large, glassy eyes observed her guardedly. The head was that of a beautiful horse, its nose and muzzle well-proportioned and soft. All over, the animal was as black as pitch.

Despite the magnificence of the horse's head and colouring, there was something else that caught Hattie's attention and had her mesmerised as it climbed slowly and shakily to its feet. An enormous pair of ebony wings had just unfurled from beneath its fallen frame, flexing experimentally in the air to check for damage. The feathers were glossy and perfectly defined - if slightly ruffled.

The winged-horse fixed her with a questioning stare just as Sharp entered the clearing. He froze when he caught sight of the vision of black before him, as did Barney. Flicking its ears forwards the horse spoke.

"Was it you that shot me down?" The tone was undeniably accusing. Hattie noticed its heaving flank and the arrow shaft embedded deeply in the skin. Around that area, the coat was darker and glistened with sticky, red blood. Her heart went out to the poor animal.

"No, of course not, I would _never _do such a thing," the blonde girl stated emphatically, "Do you see any weapons?" She spread her hands wide.

"Then who was it? Because if I find them, mark my words, they will feel the bluntness of my hoof." The horse snorted with fury, its nostrils flaring angrily.

"They have gone. We came to help."

"Help? Why should I need help?" The winged-animal shot her an insulted look, as if she had just suggested she should defecate on him.

"There is an arrow in your belly. It must be really painful. I can try and take it out," Hattie said, trying to keep her tone as calming as possible. It was obvious the creature was stressed.

"Leave me alone! Get away from me!" Kicking out with his hooves, the horse caused the girl to jump back, alarmed. Sharp leapt forward, his expression angry.

"Watch it, horse; you nearly had my friend's head off then. She's only trying to help. Can't you see that?"

"I-I…she's a Daughter of Eve." This fact seemed to have suddenly registered with the winged-beast and it paused, staring at Hattie with pain-ridden eyes. She wanted to quail under the intense gaze but knew she must stand her ground if she was to gain the horse's trust and respect.

"Well deduced," Sharp said, the usual hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. "Now, will you let her help you?"

"I…"

The horse flapped its wings slightly, as if indecisive, and shuffled its long black legs so it scuffed up dirt from the earth. For a second its ears twitched and then it seemed to come to a conclusion.

"I would be very grateful should you help me, Daughter of Eve." Folding its mighty coal-coloured wings onto its back, the horse lowered its head. Hattie smiled. "My name is Kolfinna."

**Just in case you don't register, just for future reference, Kolfinna is a male horse and means 'black horse'. Fitting, right? :D Please, please review! NIGHT!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thanks to Queen Su and Lilagirl for their reviews! Keep with me! Review other peeps! They will be much appreciated! Sorry for the lack of meeting between characters but that tension and suspense is all part of my master plan. :) And sorry for my lack of proper Narnian knowledge. I'd suck at Mastermind in it. **

Edmund hadn't ventured so far from the palace in such a long time that he felt a certain freedom in doing so. The small party progressed swiftly through the forests leaving little evidence they had passed. All being experienced warriors and soldiers, they had a smoothness and quietness in their movement so they barely disturbed anything whether it was a family of hedgehogs in search of a place they could hibernate or a young centaur frolicking in the bushes with his friends. They galloped on, unnoticed.

Beside him, Edmund's brother rode his beautiful grey horse; its flanks were as white as the snow that would soon fall upon the land of Narnia. Sitting atop the magnificent creature, Peter looked like the High King he was and more. His blond-brown locks glinted in the afternoon sun and his blue eyes sparkled with the excitement of speeding along on the back of such a fantastic animal. Sometimes Edmund envied his brother: he was _High _King, he had all the respect, he had the good looks, the charming personality and _he _had never betrayed his siblings. Edmund was sure he would live with that particular guilt forever. However, his love of Peter overcame those ill feelings – his brother had always protected him and stood by him no matter what.

Edmund didn't want all his brother's responsibility anyway. He was glad that his elder sibling had to deal with the difficulties and decisions in the kingdom. That really relieved the stress off him. Of course the younger king tried to help where he could but sometimes it was just down to Peter – Edmund had nowhere near enough experience or understanding.

As the boy pounded through the trees on his steed, a figure suddenly strayed out into his path and Philip reared violently to avoid flattening them. Edmund tumbled – reasonably athletically – off his chestnut back and somersaulted onto the ground. Fortunately his fall was cushioned by leaves and so it didn't hurt too much. He did jar his back quite badly though. Wincing, the king clambered to his feet.

The band from Narnia had also drawn to a slightly less dramatic stop and Peter was already dismounting in a rush to help his brother. The man who had unseated Edmund looked somewhat stunned by the sudden appearance of people – as if he had expected no one to be around this area. His eyes were wide and a little frightened. He was yet to move from his frozen position.

Once the High King had checked Edmund was all right, he headed over to the man, a slightly angry expression on his face. Obviously he didn't take kindly to a stranger who had almost caused his sibling a serious injury.

"What were you doing, man?" Peter asked. He received no answer. Before he could persist, however, laughing reached their ears and a group of youngish men wandered upon them. They all stopped when they saw the Kings and the creatures accompanying them, mouths agape. "Is he with you?" Peter gestured at the mute man.

"Er….yes, sir," one of the strangers said.

"Well he caused my brother to fall from his horse. He could have broken something."

"He's sorry, sir. We're sorry."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but we are hunting."

"_Hunting_?" Peter repeated, not quite believing his ears.

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?"

"I think you'll find I do have a problem considering this is Narnia and the hunting of the majority of animals is forbidden – for they are Talking Beasts. Only certain, no-talking varieties can be killed and eaten. Also, as High King of Narnia, I should be informed of any men present in our country for this is usually a land of animals and mythical creatures. It is customary for strangers to the realm to announce their presence at Cair Paravel before proceeding into the region. And finally, I do not think you will be catching many beasts with the noise you are creating. You lack stealth."

"Hey, we shot down this flying thing," a youth protested, his brown face creased with indignation. "But then Finnian couldn't be bothered to go after it and…." One quelling look from the person who seemed to be the leader of the party silenced him.

Peter looked considerably upset and perturbed by this information but he did not pursue the matter. There were more pressing things to be dealt with at this moment in time.

"But what are your reasons for entering the land of Narnia and disrupting the peace with illegal activities?"

"Um…." Finnian stammered.

"Tell me."

"Wait!" The man seemed to be gathering his thoughts together desperately quickly and he nodded once to himself as if he had finally decided what he needed to say. "You say _you _are the King of Narnia?!"

"High King," Peter corrected automatically.

"Yes, the High King," he gulped, "Well….our business is…" Finnian was groping around in the air for the right words.

"Not our business but King Levetine's," the youth supplied, obviously trying to be helpful but failing miserably by the looks of his friends.

"You're Calormenes."

"Yes…" Finnian nodded reluctantly, shooting an annoyed glance at the youth, "We are."

"And your business in Narnia is?"

"Just….visiting, my lord, we are sorry we did not inform you."

Peter was far from convinced. He could tell his soldiers weren't either, their stances and expressions demonstrated their thoughts on the matter. However, with little evidence he couldn't do much. Yes, he could reprimand them for being in Narnian territory without permission but there would be not much point. He wasn't a harsh ruler and he strived to keep peace between nations – even with Calormenes.

"All right, I will let you go this once, but in return for this lenience I would like something in return: some information," Peter stated, his voice firm, "We are searching for a boy. Have you seen a boy or anything strange in your travels through this country or any others for that matter? It is of great importance to us."

The group of men exchanged uneasy glances that did not pass unnoticed by the Narnians; however they had no idea exactly what they meant. Eventually, Finnian spoke.

"Unfortunately, we can do nothing do reciprocate your very kind gesture for we have seen nothing out of the ordinary on our travels. It is hard to tell you whether we have seen the particular boy you seek for we do not know his age, his look or his name. Can you tell us any of these features? Perhaps then we can be of some assistance."

"Regrettably, we have no such information; if we did then our own search would be much simpler. Well, thank you for your time and we will bid you goodbye. Though I warn you not to continue your hunting on Narnian ground, for in future there will be severe repercussions."

"Duly noted, your majesty." Finnian swept into a low bow and then he and his friends left.

Edmund turned to his elder brother with an incredulous expression on his face. After all that Peter had just let them go. Any idiot could see they were or had been up to no good. In return for his disbelieving look, the High King offered him a knowing look and then proceeded to mount his horse. With nothing else to do, Edmund copied him, his mind still reeling. Once again the search party set off.

* * *

In the isolation of the forest, the youth, whose name was Ari, turned to Finnian with a delighted smirk on his face.

"They fell for it. I do not believe it. That stupid king just bought the entire story – Leventine always told us those Narnians had nothing between the ears."

"Do not take their ignorance for granted, Ari," Finnian replied sharply, "To my eyes, it is unlikely they trusted a single word we spoke but fortunately the High King is too kind and noble for his own good so he allowed us leave. They were suspicious, there is no doubt. And that was not helped by your bold and foolish statements – you could have ruined everything."

"I'm sorry, Finnian." Ari hung his head, ashamedly.

"And in future, I would prefer you to refer to King Levetine as just that, not 'Leventine'. He is not your friend or even a close acquaintance so you have no right to use his first name."

"Sorry," Ari muttered again.

"Good, now we must return to camp. Come, men."

**More of Sharp next chapter....If you REVIEW! Love you guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Thank you very much to Queen Su and yetti for their reviews! You fuel my brain and my fingers to type. Please review other people too! You would make me update even quicker. Everything is coming to a head in this chapter so beware! AND REVIEW!**

A pair of pained brown eyes stared intensely into her own and Hattie found herself struggling not to avert her gaze and run away as quickly as possible. Her hands shook uncontrollably and she had to take a deep breath to control them – otherwise it would be impossible for her to complete the task that she had to do. Gripped in her quivering fingertips was the rough, wooden shaft of an arrow; its point embedded deeply in the horse's flank. His glossy black coat was slicked with dark sweat and his sides trembled with the fatigue of constantly being tense and in agony. Nostrils were flared: wide and red.

Obviously the winged beast was incredibly stressed out and Hattie desperately wanted to end his anxiety. And to do that she needed to remove the arrow - that was what was causing him the pain. How to go about it was the more difficult part. She vaguely remembered some of her First Aid lessons in school when her teacher had told her about removing shrapnel from blast victims. That was an important skill in the war. This skill could be put into practice now, in the middle of a magical forest on a flying horse; probably not exactly what her teacher had had in mind.

"This is going to hurt," Hattie informed her patient, gently.

"You don't say," Sharp said, sarcastically, from where he was sat, a little way away from the massive black horse and the girl. For his comment, he was thrown a withering look.

"Kolfinna, are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, human," the horse nodded, bracing himself.

Hattie didn't bother counting to three or giving Kolfinna any warning as to when she was going to yank the arrow out. That would give him time to panic; instead she just did it. The animal let out a heart-rending scream of pain and jerked violently away from the girl, his wings flapping frantically. But the sharp arrow was out and that was all that mattered. Quickly, Hattie moved in to calm the panting horse as he whimpered and rolled his eyes fearfully. She ran a hand along his damp back and whispered softly in his ear. Kolfinna stopped prancing and became still so she could bandage him up.

Already, the girl had very little in the way of possessions so she had to use the bottom of her flimsy nightgown in order to staunch some of the flow of blood. Soon the material was soaked scarlet and of little use so she had to throw it away. Fortunately, the bleed seemed to be slowing as it clotted so stopping the stream was not as essential. Still, Hattie couldn't help worry about infection as she stared at the coal coloured horse, its hair matted with drying blood. The cloying, metallic smell hung in the air and she wrinkled her nose.

"Thank you, Daughter of Eve." Kolfinna turned to her, his expression sincere – if a horse could look sincere. "I'm not sure I would have survived had you not done what you did."

"Oh, it was nothing. You're not out of the woods yet. If I just had some more equipment: bandages, needle, thread….then I could help you more," Hattie garbled.

"This is more than enough." The Talking Beast offered her a bow of his mighty head. "I would like to know, in what way can I repay you for your kindness?"

"Um…."

"Look, _Horse_, she doesn't need your help. She's got me." Sharp had come closer to the pair now he saw any danger of being kicked had passed. He was eyeing Kolfinna with wariness.

"And what use is a wily, untrustworthy Fox?" The stallion replied, curtly.

"I'm plenty more use than you!" Sharp cried indignantly. "I'm leading her to the Kings and Queens of Narnia so that they may help her find her brother."

"Her brother? He is lost?" Kolfinna directed this question at Hattie herself and she nodded mutely.

"Some men stole him right from her house. She doesn't come from this world, see, she comes from the land of humans," Sharp interrupted, obviously revelling in the knowledge he had only recently acquired.

"One of the Lone Islands?"

"No, halfwit, Spare Oom and beyond."

"Oh, you are one of _them_," Kolfinna said softly, his brown eyes tracing Hattie's face and making her feel very uncomfortable.

"Them?" she asked.

"You are of the land of our sovereigns. Not like the Calormenes or the Telemarines."

"Er…I don't think so." Hattie was very confused.

"Well, I would also like to help you on your journey so you can arrive safely at Cair Paravel and find your missing brother."

"Thanks, I guess."

In all honesty, Hattie was astounded that such a magnificent – albeit slightly aloof – creature would want to help her without her even asking. Ever since arriving in this foreign land she had been surprised by its occupants. She had been glad to have Barney by her side let alone a fox and a winged-horse. This was getting beyond ridiculous. She felt like she was in one of those story books she read when she was little – surrounded by a band of animals. Still, she couldn't very well refuse the kind offer could she?

"We will be moving on then?" Kolfinna asked politely.

"Yes, we should be," Sharp stated flippantly and began padding off into the undergrowth. A couple of feet behind him, the golden-haired canine followed leisurely, his nose buried in the leaves.

"I would ask to know your name, Daughter of Eve, I feel rude not to have thought before."

"Hattie," Hattie supplied.

"Well, Hattie, it is nice to meet you. Shall we walk?"

"Oi, you coming or what?" The fox had suddenly reappeared in the clearing with an exasperated look on his furry face.

"Yes, Sharp."

* * *

Snow swirled lazily around the girl's head as she walked, lacing her blonde hair with a powdery icing. The entire world had turned white. Only the blurry dark outlines of trees could be made out in the snowfall. She had had several close run ins with fallen logs and overhanging branches because of the obscured vision. It wasn't just the difficulty seeing that was a problem but also the fast dropping temperature. Still dressed in her nightgown and bare feet, Hattie was at the mercy of the elements which, at this moment in time, did not seem to be looking upon her kindly. Goose pimples were rapidly enveloping her naked arms and her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Her hands were icy and turning blue.

"I…cannot….believe….its…..snowing…." she stammered, desperately rubbing her arms in an effort to keep warm. Usually she liked snow but this was different, not least because she hadn't enough layers on.

"Well, it is the Thirteenth Night of Winter," Sharp stated as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. His russet coat was spiky with frost but because of its thickness it didn't bother him. The same with Barney.

"The weather here is balmy. One minute its clear, then its raining, then its sunny, then its _snowing_! I'm in my nightclothes!" Hattie cried, frustrated.

"Here, let me help." Kolfinna extended one of his great ebony wings above her head so it acted as a shield and shelter from the snowstorm. It didn't stop the girl's feet from still being numb however. She was bound to get frostbite, Hattie thought bitterly, and then her toes would fall off. Fabulous.

"Thank you," she said even so. Manners were always necessary, even if one was feeling down.

"Maybe we should search for some proper shelter, like a cave or something," Sharp suggested, nosing the powdery snow at his feet disinterestedly.

"No, we need to keep going. Rupert might not have much time left." Hattie's tone was vehement.

* * *

And so the four carried on for hours, bowing their heads against the cold snow and the unyielding wind. Even the animals, with their thick coats, began to feel the full force of the wintery weather. They all huddled closer together for warmth – despite their differences, survival was more important.

Suddenly, Sharp spotted a flash of movement up ahead and he froze. What was that? Immediately alert and wary, the fox bid his companions to be still and silent whilst he went to investigate. Hurrying forward, his belly slung so close to the ground that the underside brushed the fallen snow, Sharp followed his eyes and his nose to where he was sure the movement had come from. Pushing through some ice covered leaves, the creature caught sight of a small flickering fire and the black entrance to a cave. Sitting in the mouth of the cavern were several figures: one boy, two centaurs, some fauns and a leopard. A small distance into the cave, two horses were tethered, their heads hung together for companionship and comfort.

Just as he was about to turn back and inform his friends they should probably move away, Sharp heard a scream from behind him – back where he'd left the others.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN. Okay, I stayed up extra late to update this (mainly cos I'm hoping I will get a snow day and a lie in tomorrow) so please be so kind as to review! Thank you! In this chapter there may finally be some meetings...**

**By the way, sorry for any mistyped names in earlier chapters such as saying Pevesie rather than Pevensie. Stupid me! And also the shoddy grammar in King's and Queen's of Narnia. I know that's horribly wrong and I apologise but I don't care enough to go back and change it.**

**Oooh, also, I created a picture to go with my story. It has Kolfinna, Sharp and Barney in. Its not great but click on my profile page at the bottom to see it! :) I would put a link here but it doesn't work!**

Edmund had been sent out by his brother in search of firewood. They had struggled to light the small fire for their shelter with damp sticks and now they had it going Peter didn't want it going out. Therefore he'd stayed with the fire and Edmund had been the one to go out in the _freezing _cold snow in search of any dry fuel. Unfortunately, luck didn't seem to be with him as he had found nothing, everything was just caked in snow.

Pulling his cloak tighter around him, the youth shivered and bent his head against the relentless blizzard. What he wouldn't give to be back at Cair Paravel in his warm bed, draped with several blankets. Still, they had a mission to fulfil and he couldn't give up now. Hopefully they would find this boy soon and then they could get back home.

Snow crunched beneath his leather boots as he tramped through the forest and his feet sunk down in the powdery white carpet. Suddenly he was having flashbacks to the time he'd run away from his siblings to join the White Witch and had neglected to take his coat. However, these memories were knocked clean from his head as he collided with something very large and very solid. Somehow, Edmund managed to maintain his balance as he wind milled his arms frantically. Whatever he had crashed into moved violently and a pair of enormous black wings obscured his entire vision as they flapped, startled. Then someone screamed.

Lurching forward, dodging the giant, winged monster, the boy searched for where the noise had come from. It had sounded like a human – a human girl. His brain urged him to help. Edmund began to draw his sword just as his foot caught on something lying in the snow and he tumbled over, earning himself a mouthful of slush. Spitting out the powder, the adolescent scrambled to his feet and stared through the flurry of snow at what he had tripped over. It _was _a girl. She was dressed in the most ridiculous ensemble for such weather. She didn't even have shoes on! Her bare feet looked positively blue. Only a thin, cotton nightdress protected her from the cold and even that was ripped, muddied and bloodied. No wonder she seemed to have passed out.

Stunned by the human's appearance, Edmund took a moment to react to the ruckus around him but then he registered the wild whinny behind him and ducked out of the way to avoid the flailing hooves which were about to crush his skull. Rolling in the snow, the young king gaped in astonishment at the massive ebony horse that reared in front of him – its eyes mad and its wings spread wide. Somewhere to his left a dog was barking crazily. Swiftly, the boy finally managed to remove his sword from its sheath and he held it in front of him protectively. The winged-beast paused in its attack, eyeing him warily.

"Stay back," Edmund ordered, trying to force authority in his voice.

"I think _you _should be the one to stay back." A smooth voice stated from behind him and Edmund whipped round to face the speaker. At first he could not see them but then he caught sight of the unmistakable, russet outline of a fox. It watched him: half amused, half hostile. Amber eyes shone like bright lamps in the blizzard. Obviously it was a Talking Beast. Maybe he knew the horse and could reason with him.

"I mean you no harm," the young king declared, lowering his sword – just slightly.

"Well, as long as you stay away from the girl, we will do you no harm either." The fox smiled at him, rows of sharp white teeth visible between his curled lips.

"I-but…I didn't want to hurt her, I wanted to help. She looks awfully ill. I mean, she has barely any clothes on and she's collapsed."

"That was your fault; you scared her half to death." This voice was different, deeper. With surprise, Edmund realised it came from the winged-horse.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, but really, I think she may have hypothermia. Please let me at least take her to my camp where there is a fire and warmth." He wasn't quite sure why he was so desperate to help this complete stranger: maybe his chivalrous, gentlemanly nature was coming through. Besides, he was certain that if he didn't help her she would die. Therefore he needed to persuade the animals his idea was the best thing for her.

"How do we know we can trust you?" The burnt-orange fox asked. "There are some nasty pieces of work in this forest at the moment."

"I know," Edmund replied, "I met some of them just earlier. But please, you _have_ to trust _me_." With his earnest brown eyes, the young man tried to sway them.

Edmund wasn't like Peter, he didn't like going round reciting his title to anyone who would listen. He preferred to keep quiet about his royal status until it was absolutely necessary. It was better making friends that way; then he knew they were genuine and not just gold diggers. Most likely things would be easier should he tell them he was King of Narnia but that wasn't the point. He wanted to earn their respect and trust. That what made him Just – he always made things fair, not using titles to his advantage.

The charcoal-black beast and his russet companion eyed him for a second before nodding mutely. He realised they must understand the gravity of the situation and that he was the girl's only chance of survival. Hurrying forward, the youth scooped the lifeless, cold form into his body. Her skin was icy to the touch and he worried that he was too late.

* * *

Hattie was vaguely aware that she was moving as the earth was bumping around beneath her. It was strange and somewhat disconcerting. However, despite the shifting surface beneath her, she felt warmer and comfier than she had done in days. She was conscious of the fact she seemed to be cocooned in several thick blankets which served to keep all her body heat in so the air around her was toasty. Also, the snow seemed to have stopped for she could no longer feel cold blobs landing on her head and face. Maybe she was dead. That seemed a likely conclusion. After what she'd suffered at the hands of nature it wouldn't be a surprise that her body and mind had just shut down and gone to sleep forever. Well, there was only one way to find out. Hattie cracked open her eyes, blinking in the sudden light.

All she could see was the sky – crisp and blue - slightly blotted out by some overhanging trees and then, to the left of her vision she spotted a chin. This chin was strong and angular and was attached to the face of a young man. His features also looked sharp; dark brown eyes set into a slightly freckled face. Feathery black hair crowned his head. It was then that Hattie realised that she was lying on the lap of a complete stranger (who for all she knew could have kidnapped her like her brother) and she was balanced very precariously on the back of a horse. With a small yelp of fear, the girl jerked from her position and almost toppled off the creature's chestnut back. Fortunately, a pair of strong hands grabbed her and hauled her back up. The horse came to an abrupt halt at the tug of the reins.

"W-what? Where am I? Who are you? Where are Barney and Sharp…and Kolfinna?" Hattie was aware she was gabbling but, to be honest, her mind wasn't working fantastically. It was still hazy from the effects of extreme cold and being unconscious.

"Calm down," the youth soothed, his eyes full of reassurance. Hattie wasn't convinced. With more swiftness and agility than she thought she was capable of she slithered off the animal's back – albeit landing slightly awkwardly on the ground – and backed away. "Hey, its okay, I'm not going to hurt you." The boy also climbed, much more elegantly, down from his mount.

Hattie dropped the blankets shrouding her around her feet as she stumbled further backwards. She didn't care. For all she knew this boy was one of the men who had taken her little brother. Perhaps he was taking her as well. She needed to escape. Looking frantically around, the girl hedged her bets and ran for the nearest opening in the trees. Unfortunately, her weakened legs gave out on her and she fell to the ground. Immediately, the adolescent was by her side, offering her a hand. She brushed him away.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned. "You shouldn't really be walking around. You should be recovering. Come, put the blankets back on or you'll get worse again." Bending down, he retrieved the fallen covers. Much to her surprise, Hattie stayed still as he wrapped them round her already shivering shoulders. There was something oddly trustworthy about him that her body had picked up on but her mind hadn't.

"Recovering from what?"

"Hypothermia, silly," he chuckled, shaking his head incredulously; "I don't think I've met many girls walking around in a forest in a blizzard dressed only in their nightgown. I mean, you didn't even have shoes on, or at least slippers." Hattie flushed.

"Well, I wasn't exactly planning on being here in the first place! It's not my fault I came unprepared, it wasn't by choice!" she retorted, indignantly. There was some kind of relief filling her heart as she realised that this boy, whoever he was, was actually human and not a talking animal or a mythical beast. She had decided now that he seemed friendly enough – maybe he _was _just trying to help, by the sounds of things he'd saved her life. For that, she supposed she was grateful.

"What happened?" The young man looked extremely curious.

"I was in my house at night and then _bam_, I was here, in this dratted forest. As I said, I didn't have much choice." Hattie neglected to mention her brother, just in case.

"Wow." He looked positively stunned before muttering, "So the Professor was right, we weren't the only ones."

"Sorry, what?" Hattie strained to hear but gave up, instead asking: "What is your name anyway?"

"_Edmund_! Where are you? We've been waiting ages…"

Another young man, tremendously handsome, sat astride a magnificent white stallion, burst into their midst. When he caught sight of the two of them, he stopped, surprised. Then his face broke into a smile.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, madam. Has my brother been causing you any bother?"


	11. Chapter 11

**AN. Thanks to Queen Su for her kind review! You're the only one sticking with me! Thank you! I don't like this chapter so much though. I couldnt get the Hattie and Edmund first interaction at right. It was really annoying. I dont think its right still. Sorry if you dont like it.  
**

The girl looked pretty average. There was nothing extraordinary about her. Her hair was blonde and tangled from days of being unwashed and not brushed. Her skin was grubby and still retained a bluish tinge which left her looking tired out and pale. Dark purple shadows underlined her eyes, just accentuating her exhaustion. At this moment in time, Edmund was sure he had seen much more beautiful girls than her back at home. Still, that wasn't the point, he wasn't supposed to be judging the girl on her looks; he was supposed to be helping her.

He glanced across at Peter who had just galloped into the clearing and raised an eyebrow as he spoke to the girl. The young king was about to protest against his brother's teasing words when he noticed that the girl was staring at him with puzzled brown eyes. Feeling slightly uneasy, he offered her a cautious smile. Seeing his expression she blinked suddenly and looked away, embarrassedly.

In an attempt to break the tension, he said, "Yes, thanks for that, Pete. My name is Edmund Pevensie. And yours is?"

The fox and the winged-horse had refused to give either him or his brother any information – names or otherwise – before they saw the girl was alive and well. Obviously they still didn't trust him, despite all he'd done in his power to help the girl pull through her illness.

When he'd returned to camp with her in his arms, Peter and the rest of their companions had been suitably surprised but they had quickly meshed together to aid Edmund in warming her up and making her healthy again. Unfortunately, their measly fire and few supplies didn't seem to have been enough to rouse her from unconsciousness and Peter was worried she could get even worse so they had elected to head back to Cair Paravel and the physicians there or Lucy and her cordial. Their mission would have to wait for a time.

Of course they had consulted the fox and the horse about the plan and they, although at first being reluctant, had agreed seeing it was best for their sick companion to head to the palace. So the group had set out as soon as the snow had petered off, the girl placed carefully over the front of Edmund's horse so he could keep her steady, balanced and warm. What they hadn't banked on was her waking up and being absolutely terrified.

"Hattie, well Harriet, but Hattie for short." Her expression was still perplexed and her eyes kept travelling over the contours of the young king's face again and again. Edmund wondered what on earth could interest her so much about him.

"Well, its nice to meet you awake, at least," Edmund joked, before holding out his hand for her to shake. For what must be one of the first times in Narnia, the gesture was reciprocated as a small, cold hand slipped into his own and closed momentarily before pulling back.

"And you too, even if it was in this." Hattie gestured down at her flimsy dress, feeling her cheeks colour slightly as she saw how scruffy and disgusting she must look. "Thank you, by the way, for saving me I mean. My companions….are nice, but they aren't that adept at neither first aid nor caring for humans."

"You're welcome."

It was at that moment that Barney came bounding into their midst, his rough, pink tongue lolling from his mouth and dripping with saliva. When he spotted that his mistress was awake, he barked jovially. Quick as a flash, he barrelled over to her and knocked into her knees, almost toppling her with his weight. Fortunately, Edmund was there to lend a supportive hand, as he grabbed her and set her upright.

"Thanks…again," she said, softly. The young coal-haired man shot her charming grin and then turned to Barney who was looking considerably guilty on the floor. He whined, unsure.

"You need to watch it, dog; you almost had her over then. She's a bit weak at the moment." Hattie had to suppress a smile when she realised that, yet again, her ordinary mutt was being addressed as if he was human. She felt sorry for the young man as he failed to receive a coherent answer. Barney just offered him a sharp bark and a friendly lick on the face.

"Yeah, he's not one of your lot. He doesn't talk. Don't get me wrong, he might understand some of what your saying, but you'd be lucky to get him to reply."

Edmund looked mortified.

"Its okay, really, you weren't to know."

"I think I'll try and save my poor, verbally incompetent brother from more humiliation and step in here. Good day to you, Hattie, my name is High King Peter the Magnificent." Edmund groaned audibly, there he went again, shoving the title down their throats.

"Ah!" Another voice joined the conversation as Sharp stepped through the trees followed by the towering black form of Kolfinna. "I see you've met the Kings of Narnia, Hattie; I told you I'd get you to them. Though perhaps I had not foreseen it to be so soon."

Hattie's eyes widened enormously and her jaw dropped open in shock. She glanced first at Edmund, then at Peter and back.

"I _knew _it. I knew I recognised the name. You're King Edmund from the story Sharp told me."

"Well, I don't know who Sharp is or what the story is but I think I'll hedge my bets and say yes."

"That's Sharp," Hattie gestured to the russet fox, "How come he hasn't told you? I assumed you'd met."

"We have…" Edmund paused, glancing over to the creature who stared at him blankly. "He was….reluctant to give names or details."

"Oh, right, that's Kolfinna and that's Barney." The girl seemed to have no qualms about divulging information. She seemed less experienced somehow, in concealing identities and surviving.

"Quite an unusual group you make," Peter commented plainly as he climbed from his horse and strode purposefully over to them. Hattie glanced over his shoulder and spotted several more strange and magical beings emerging from the forest. From the story books, she had read she deciphered some were fauns and some were centaurs. Beautiful black, brown and chestnut flanks glistened in the morning sunshine – stark against the pure white snow.

"Um…yes." What could she say to that? Should she tell them that their little band had only formed yesterday, literally, and that she barely knew the history or characters of either fox or horse? No, Edmund had probably already figured that out from her suggestion that she had only recently arrived in her nightdress. But wait, how did he know about the world she came from – had hadn't even looked confused when she described her predicament – unless he was from their too? Maybe that wasn't so unlikely. She remembered in Sharp's tale, it seemed as if the Pevensies had come from nowhere. Perhaps they had been of her world and then ended up here.

She recalled another, less savoury part of her companion's story, the fact that Edmund was a traitor. He had simply betrayed his brother and sisters to an evil, white witch because he was selfish and all he cared about was sweets. Of course, he had returned, with Aslan's help, but could a leopard ever really change its spots? Hattie was suddenly struck with a cold, uneasy feeling and she drew unconsciously away from the young, dark-haired man, standing a couple of feet from her. He didn't notice.

"Well, my lady, my men and I were taking you back to our castle, Cair Paravel, have you heard of it?"

"Yes." Hattie now realised that Peter himself had no idea she wasn't from this land. Though she was surprised he wasn't more suspicious of her for, from what she'd heard, humans other than the sovereigns were very rare in Narnia. Obviously he was too polite and well mannered to mention anything.

"Is it alright if we continue to take you there? I would feel rude to leave you out here on your own dressed in so little. At Cair Paravel we have food, shelter, clothing…"

"I was coming there anyway."  
"You were?" Peter looked suitably surprised, his eyebrows shooting into his hair line.

"Yes, I need your help."

"Oh?"

"Sire, my brother is missing. He was abducted by these men. They took him from our house and I followed but now…now I've lost him. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it or help get him back." The girl's expression was so sad and desperate Peter would never have even considered saying no.

"Of course. Therefore we have even more the reason to return to the castle. Then we can make some enquiries. I promise we will help you in any way we can. Right, Ed?"

"Hmm…." Edmund looked blank for a moment, his mind elsewhere, before regaining his head and nodding vigorously. "Oh, yes, certainly. I would be glad to help."

"Good, then its settled. Let's keep moving."

Sharp had been watching the exchange between all the humans very carefully. He may be no _expert_ on their behaviour but he wasn't unobservant either. It had not escaped his notice, the subtle shift in Hattie's demeanour. He was not sure what had caused it, he hadn't been _that _attentive, but he could detect it. She was uncomfortable around Edmund suddenly. And the fox really wanted to know why.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks to yetti and Queen Su for reviewing! I'm hoping to get a bit more action coming up soon so keep reading and reviewing!**

King Levetine sorely hoped that everything was going to plan. When he had heard his prophet's prediction he had initially been doubtful of its truth. Cash, for that was the fortune-teller's name, was not renowned for his accurate foresights but the King decided to believe him this time because of the possibilities his prophecy opened up. It was too exciting a chance to just ignore. For years, decades, he had wanted to claim the kingdom called Narnia but until now it hadn't seemed possible. First there was the White Witch who had ruled over the land with an iron-fist and there was no way he could have ever contemplated defeating her. After her downfall, he had thought he might have a chance at fighting the new Kings and Queens and their army but he soon discovered – after scouting the country with many men and consulting several allies – they were too strong. However, he was always looking for opportunities so when he heard Cash's prophecy he had leapt on the olive branch extended to him.

"_On the Eleventh Night of Winter, problems will fall upon the illustrious land of Narnia. The reason for their troubles will come in the form of a boy, a Son of Adam from another world; this boy, in certain hands, will bring wealth and power to whomever possesses him."_

Leventine had decided to become those 'certain hands' because he wanted to be the one who overthrew Narnia's ever-popular rulers and claim their region for his own. Therefore, he had spent several days conferring with other prophets, wise men and advisors to obtain their opinion on the matter. They had, not wanting to upset or disappoint the King, immediately told him that he could create that future and then they had advised him on how best to take action. That was how he had ended up sending several of his soldiers to key points around the land so that they could pass through magical portals into an alternative universe and bring back a selection of human boys.

They had done so, with little trouble, and the boys – one of which would hopefully be _the _boy (Levetine was leaving this down to fate) – were now in the depths of Narnia's forests. The King drew a perverse pleasure out of being so close to the so-called magnificent rulers, under their nose even, without them being aware. The camp was well camouflaged; he wasn't taking any chances of being discovered and housed over five hundred men who he had shipped over. Levetine was now just waiting, waiting to see the hand that fate dealt him. He was biding his time until his possession of _the _boy, led to the downfall of Narnia's monarchs and his uprising.

Looking out of his shelter, the King observed a group of men trudging wearily back into the camp, passing through the moss green tents. They seemed to have been hunting because one of them had the carcass of a pigeon flung over his shoulder and another held a brace of a mixture of rabbits and squirrels. Levetine recognised the oldest of the men as Finnian, one of his trusted captains. Finnian had been one of his most supportive comrades during the abduction of the boys and had even completed some of the acts himself. Striding out to meet him, the King cringed visibly as his boots crunched on the snow. He hated the weather here. In Calormen it was never so bitingly cold or so disgustingly white. He liked hot colours and warmth.

They acknowledged one another curtly and then Finnian proceeded to inform his ruler on several important matters. He imparted some information on the position of some trusted informants and he told of how some of their spies had overheard that the Kings of Narnia were in search of a boy. Obviously they had also heard the prophecy and were seeking the child so they could remove the threat. Levetine smiled, pleased, as he had the boy in his grasp and there was nothing they could do about it.

* * *

The castle rose in the distance. A huge white beacon on the blue backdrop. The thick grey snow-clouds had dispersed to reveal a clear, crisp sky. Mounted atop the sheer cliff, looking out onto the sparkling sapphire sea, Cair Paravel couldn't help but bring awe to whoever beheld it.

A large white seagull soared lazily around the turrets, swooping and diving. Its cawing laugh travelled through the air loudly. Alighting on one of the many roofs, the bird preened its glossy feathers and nibbled at some irritatingly itchy part on its breast. Then, once more, it spread its wings and launched into space before climbing steadily into the heavens.

Crunching through the snow that lined the path to the castle, the small band of people and animals drew closer to their destination. Hooves, boots and paws left a trail of footprints in the white powder.

Hattie walked away from everyone else, dropping back so that she would not have to talk to anyone. She didn't feel in the mood for talking. She had refused to ride on a horse again so the two Kings had elected to go on foot too, so as not to be rude. This meant that the entire journey was longer but Hattie didn't care – she didn't want to share a horse with Edmund again, no matter what. In fact, every time he came close to her and attempted to start a conversation she would reply quickly and then move off. She guessed by now he understood that she didn't want to talk to him. Therefore he had moved on to stride beside Sharp and try an initiate a discussion with him. They seemed to be getting on all right.

High King Peter was another matter; however, he was walking alongside Kolfinna and trying to be polite and interested by asking lots of questions of the creature. The whole time he was just blanked by the large black horse. Kolfinna was blatantly ignoring all of his queries. Hattie was reminded of the aloofness that the winged-beast had displayed when they first met. This aloofness could even be interpreted as hostile. Obviously, Peter was a bit put out by the unfriendly nature of his companion. The girl moved forward, catching up with the pair to see what was up with the Kolfinna and maybe even to scold him for his impoliteness.

"So, I've never met a winged horse before…" Peter said, glancing at the animal to see if he would get a response. He didn't. But still he persisted. "Though I do remember some mention of your species in _The History of Narnia_ book we have in the library. There was something about a horse called Strawberry that got given wings by Aslan….?" Once again, the young man gave Kolfinna a quick look but received nothing in return. "I'm guessing winged horses are very rare, then, considering I have not seen many or known anyone who has met one. How many of you are there left?"

Still no answer. Peter, usually eternally patient, was beginning to get a little frustrated.

"And what brings you here….from wherever you've come from? I mean, where do you originate from?"

The great pitch beast did not even acknowledge the fact that he heard the question. There was no indication. Peter pondered whether he was fearful of him, as King, but dismissed that notion. Kolfinna had been plenty vocal earlier. But why not now? Was his injury bothering him? The young sovereign could see the painful looking gash in his side and the blood that had crusted there. The sooner they got to Lucy and her cordial the better.

Suddenly, Peter was aware of another presence quiet close to him and he glimpsed Hattie joining them. The teenage girl was just as curious as the winged horse to him; to have just appeared to them when they were in the forest dressed in so little and in need of help. It all seemed very coincidental. Peter wondered whether she was from their world: the land of Spare Oom and War Drobe. That was a possibility. Not many humans were found in Narnia and she was not clothed in any attire he'd seen in this world. Still, he would have to probe her with questions later.

Peter noticed her glide slowly closer and then fall into step beside him. He smiled amicably. She offered a shy smile in return. Then she turned from him and instead posed a query to Kolfinna. Her voice brooked no argument.

"Kolfinna, what is wrong with you? The High King of Narnia has addressed you, spent time trying to get to know you and all you do is ignore him. Have a little courtesy. I may not know much about being a Winged-Horse but I'm sure your parents would have taught you some manners, especially when facing royalty."

Finally, the horse reacted, lifting his massive head and twisting his muzzle to the young girl who scolded him so boldly. His dark brown eyes were cold – colder than their warm colour would have suggested.

"Daughter of Eve, I promised to help you and follow you because you saved my life and as you can see, I am doing so. However, I do not make a habit of conversing with humans or many other lowly creatures for that matter (_my _parents taught me _that_). So, if you will allow me to remain silent and not reply to this boy's impertinent questions then I will be fine, thank you."

Peter couldn't help but feel a little hurt and embarrassed by the creature's harsh words. He'd only been trying to be friendly!

"Ridiculous!" Hattie, somehow, did not seem to quail under Kolfinna's frosty words, as she lifted her chin. "You are no better than the rest of us and unless you want me to stick that arrow _back _into your belly then you will answer King Peter."

Surprisingly, the rare creature seemed stunned by these blunt words and he looked a little ashamed. Then he turned to Peter and with a heavy sigh said, "Yes, Winged-Horses are extremely rare. I believe there are only about fifty still left and these are scattered across countries like seeds in the wind. And yes, the Great Aslan himself did gift one of my ancestors with the brilliance of flight for he was brave and honest. He was instrumental in the creation of the Narnia we know today. The lion re-christened him Fledge." All this was said with a hint of pride and smugness in Kolfinna's voice. "As I said before, all the Winged-Horses are spread far and wide. Personally, I have no place that I call home, I am a Wanderer. Exploring is what brought me to Narnian soil."

"See now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Hattie asked, sarcasm lacing her voice. She shot Peter a knowing smile and he found himself returning the gesture immediately, before he'd even thought about it. Strange.

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	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: This chapter is a bit bitty but I couldn't get it together properly. Sorry if the characters (Pevensies especially) are a bit OOC. Thanks to Queen Su, Lilagirl and yetti for reviewing and fuelling me to write this chapter! Gold star for all of you! And a cookie. **

The reception they received at Cair Paravel was one of great happiness. Well, the happiness was mainly directed at King Peter and King Edmund and their men but Hattie and her companions also received kind welcome. An assortment of weird and wonderful creatures greeted them and introduced themselves. Hattie couldn't help but feel rather overwhelmed. Obviously she was not used to such attention because usually she remained in the shadows, shying from huge crowds and parties.

Fortunately, Peter seemed to be aware of her discomfort because he did not force her to stay among the Narnians for long. He summoned a young faun and ordered the fellow to take Hattie to a comfortable guest room. Sharp inquired as to where he would be staying and Peter promised he too would have a room. As soon as he had been told this, the fox grinned and informed the king that he didn't actually want the room but he wanted to see if he would be offered one. Hattie thought that was just spiteful; but that was Sharp she supposed. He elected to sleep outside like he had 'every night since he was a cub'. Kolfinna did the same but flatly refused the shelter of a stable. Hattie despaired at the impoliteness of her friends.

"Can Barney stay in my room with me?" the girl asked the High King. He turned to her, surprised.

"He can have his own room; you do not need to share."

Hattie laughed, incredulously. "Unless you want your room completely trashed by a crazy dog, I would advise you to allow him to stay with me."

"Oh Aslan, I forgot." Peter slapped the heel of his palm against his forehead and let out an embarrassed chuckle.

"That's fine. I bet you're used to all the animals talking to you and having some idea of hygiene. Barney….does not."

"Well, this young faun, Quince, will take you to your room and then we will meet you for lunch to discuss your brother. I am sure that you want to find him as soon as possible."

Peter nodded to her and Hattie curtsied back. It felt strange. She had never curtsied in her life but it felt right to do so now. Once she had risen again, the teenage girl turned on her heel and clicked for Barney to follow her. As the two of them began to trail Quince, Hattie caught sight of a pair of chestnut eyes staring her way and she felt her heart beat increase. Edmund looked away swiftly and moved away before she could say anything – immersing himself in the crowds who received him gladly. Hattie wondered how they could accept a traitor so easily.

* * *

Edmund hugged his little sister tightly and she wrapped her slender arms round his waist – they only just reached round. Lucy was so glad that both her brothers had returned safe and sound. Of course, she was disappointed, just as they were that they hadn't discovered anything more about this mysterious boy but she understood their need to return to the castle with the girl and her companions.

Actually, Lucy was eager to talk to the visitors, especially the girl who Edmund called Hattie because she now understood that it was likely that she had come from their own world. Lucy would have a lot to talk about. Though she was also informed of the poor girl's predicament and her little brother's and felt extremely sorry for the two of them. She hoped she and her royal siblings could do something to help.

Right now, the four Pevensies were alone in their private chambers, discussing some major problems facing their kingdom. Sometimes Lucy had difficulty deciphering all that her older siblings meant with their adult words but she understood the gist.

Peter stood by the window, gazing out onto the great sea, his face solemn and his arms crossed over his broad chest. Sunlight bleeding in through the glass bathed his golden hair in soft light – Lucy couldn't help think it looked like a halo. Susan sat on a velvet chair in her beautiful green dress. She held herself with unparalleled grace, a grace that Lucy could never hope to achieve. Dark wavy hair tumbled down onto her shoulders like some black waterfall. Currently her intense gaze was fixed on her older brother – worried. Edmund, having released his Lucy from his embrace, had retreated to the smooth stone wall and was leaning casually on it. One leg was drawn up to knee height, bent and with a booted foot pressed against the stone. Despite his nonchalant stance, the boy's brow was deeply furrowed in an expression that Lucy recognised as his concentrated state. Each of her siblings was extremely tense and anxious and Lucy wished she could do something to relieve the pressure off each of them but there was nothing she could do. That frustrated her no end.

"Moving off the subject of the prophecy," Edmund suddenly began, breaking the silence that had fallen on the room, "What are we going to do to help Hattie find her brother?"

"Hattie?" Susan paused, collecting her thoughts. "That's our newest guest?"

"Yes," Lucy piped up.

"Is she cared for right now?" the eldest Queen queried, always the hostess. She could never stand not making sure her visitors had the best stay possible. Having not managed to welcome the young girl before she was whisked away to her room, Susan was feeling very rude and inhospitable.

"Yes," Peter answered, finally wrenching his gaze away from the window to look at his family, "She is well housed. I invited her down here to join us when she's ready so we may discuss the matter of her brother."

"Good," Edmund nodded.

"So, do you reckon she's from our world?" Peter asked the whole room but it was his coal-headed brother who replied.

"Definitely. She is from the land of Spare Oom. She mentioned being in her room at one point and then in the forest of Narnia. Her clothes were of our world – a nightdress. And her dog, she referred to him as normal, suggesting she is not used to Talking Animals. None of the animals spoke in our old country."

If Peter was surprised by his brother's astute observations and immediate recital, he did not show it. Instead, he just nodded silently to himself and ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you think we should explain things to her?" the High King said.

"I think that would be a good idea," Edmund nodded.

"Will it scare her?"

"I doubt it, she seems the brave type. It will not affect her greatly."

"Let's hope not."

"I think she's arrived," Lucy butted in, just as they all heard a knock on the door. Peter called for her to enter.

* * *

Hattie took a deep breath before stepping into the midst of the royal siblings. In the forest it hadn't seemed so scary and strange talking to the young kings but now they were in their own castle, surrounded by loyal subjects and luxurious things it did. Hattie was especially nervous at meeting the Queens of Narnia. Hopefully they would not hate her too much for her imposing upon them. She was still wearing her dreadful nightdress for she had been too frightened of taking anything from the wardrobe in her room. It seemed silly now, as she walked timidly into the room. They would just think her grubby and unkempt. Definitely not worthy of royal company.

Her heart beat fiercely against her rib cage as four pairs of eyes fell on her sorry form. Blood flooded her cheeks as she saw the expression on Queen Susan's face turn from one of surprise to horror. Was she really that terrible to look at? The Queen looked positively mortified.

"Lady Hattie." Once again, King Peter ducked his head to her and Hattie found herself curtsying back instinctively. Then she stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do and what to say. She had been intending to beg them to help her brother as soon as possible but now that seemed extremely rude considering they were already doing so much for her. Therefore she was at a loss for words. Fortunately, the youngest king broke the silence.

"We have been discussing the case of you and your brother." The way Edmund spoke made it sound like a legal matter or some statistic in a book and Hattie felt an irrational feeling of anger well up inside her. Without realising her expression hardened. "We will, of course, help you in any way. However, we need to know some things about you first and we need to tell you some things as well."

It was obvious, in the young girl's eyes, that King Edmund did not trust her in the slightest. Well, the feeling was mutual.

Edmund was slightly perturbed and a little put out by the reaction he received to his words. He thought that their guest would be grateful but she seemed to be angry for some reason he could not fathom. He could see it in her eyes and in the muscle that jumped in her jaw. Disconcerted, the young man attempted to continue.

"First of all." He wondered for a moment why he seemed to have become to spokesman for the Royal Four; none of the others looked like they wanted to contribute so he carried on. "Would you tell us where you are from? And how you came to be in Narnia?"

Hattie's eyes were full of wariness – like some cornered wild animal – and Edmund was further confused. Earlier she had been perfectly fine, why the sudden change in demeanour? Despite her edginess, the girl began to talk, her gaze seeming to avoid Edmund completely.

"I'm from Coventry," she said, slowly, gauging their reactions to see if they recognised the place. By the widening of their eyes, they did. "In England. And as to how I came to be in Narnia, well, that's complicated." She worded her explanation carefully. "There was this man in my brother's room. It was night time and everyone else was asleep. I tried to grab my brother's hand and pull him back to safety but as soon as I touched him the whole world seemed to change and we ended up here. There were lots of men and lots of noise. I got confused and…." The girl paused, a look of terrible guilt passing across her face. "I let go of Rupert's hand. They took him." Her description was stunted but understood perfectly well by the others.

Quiet fell upon the chamber as the Pevensies exchanged looks. It was evident that Hattie was from their world. Peter decided that he would take up the mantle of speech as Edmund had lapsed into silence - his expression dark and pensive.

"We are from London, in Finchley." It was Hattie's turn to look shocked. She would never have suspected these monarchs to be from her world. They looked so at home here.

"But how-how did you come to be here?"

"Via a Wardrobe. As you say: it's complicated." Peter smiled slightly.

"And now you're the rulers? How did that happen?" Hattie was aware she was being extremely nosy but she couldn't help it. Curiosity was getting the better of her and her manners.

"That's a long story. Maybe we will explain it to you some other time." The High King shrugged and by his tone Hattie guessed that it wouldn't be soon. "However, right now we need to focus on your missing brother and other pressing matters. You say his name is Rupert?"

"Yes."

"And what did the men look like? Did you see their faces? Or their clothes?"

"I'm sorry, it was too dark." Hattie felt stupid for not observing them better. She had no extra information that could of be use to the monarchs. Once more her face flushed scarlet but fortunately no one seemed to notice.

"Well, I promise you we will do our best to find him," Peter stated, his voice sincere and mature.

Despite the youth of the man standing in front of her, and all his siblings for that matter, the youngest of which could be no more than ten or eleven, Hattie found herself trusting them unreservedly. Well, three of them anyway.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Thank you to all my lovely reviewers: yetti, Lilagirl, Queen Su and unicorn-skydancer08! Thanks for the support! Here is the next chapter! Obviously. I'm ill so forgive me for any major grammatical errors, plot incontinuity (thats not even a word but you know what I mean) and OOCs! I apologise in advance.**

**Oh, and if you enjoy my writing and are looking for a good read (not wishing to be boastful :D) albeit a quite sad one then go to my other Narnian story too! Its called Alone. Its about what would happen if Lucy lost all her siblings in PC and had to fend on her own. Angsty from the start!**

The horse eyed the little girl warily. The little girl stared at him right back, her expression firm yet encouraging.

"I'm here to help."

Somehow, the horse found himself believing her even though he desperately didn't want to. He'd already let one human into his life and look where that had got him! It was better to keep them at arm's length. They were pesky and really irritating, always getting in his way and under his feet. Not that he'd met many he could judge by but still, he didn't trust them.

"Look, I've got this cordial," she held up a small diamond bottle, "Just one drop and your injury will go! I promise."

Flapping his wings uneasily, Kolfinna snorted and continued to back away from the fast approaching child. If she got any closer he _would _kick her. She was pushing her luck already. Usually, if someone upset or attacked him, Kolfinna would merely launch himself into the air and escape. However, with this nasty wound, he could not bear to fly – it hurt too much.

"_Please_ let me help you!" the girl begged him, her blue eyes huge, soft and round.

Kolfinna could not quite believe this small girl was pleading with him to allow her to help him. It seemed utterly absurd. Then again these human-folk generally were. She didn't even show an ounce of fear at their proximity and the beast's obvious displeasure at her presence.

She took another step nearer him and the winged-horse reared angrily, his huge hooves, the size of dessert plates, swiped through space ridiculously close to her vulnerable chestnut head. To her credit, the girl barely flinched; she just let an almost inaudible gasp and then regained her composure. Kolfinna had to admit he was fairly impressed.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you! On my life, I promise, dear friend."

This human had called him a friend, Kolfinna didn't know whether to be touched or mortally offended. While he was contemplating whether her statement was an insult, the girl darted nimbly forward and – with the bottle uncorked – tipped a drop into his open mouth. So shocked was he by her bold actions, that the black creature didn't even react. He just blinked once.

And suddenly warmth was flooding towards the wound in his belly. No longer did it hurt, it merely tingled pleasantly. Turning his great dark head round to look, Kolfinna found that the injury had completely healed. All that was left was a small crusting of dried blood.

To remove the itchy blood, the horse extended a long pink tongue to the rough patch and licked the area clean. Once he was done, he turned a steely gaze on the young child who stood before him and bowed his head grudgingly.

"Thank you, Queen Lucy," he said, quietly. The valiant queen nodded, satisfied.

"See, you don't need to be hostile all the time. Life is so much harder if _you _make it difficult."

"Yes."

"Good, I'm glad you understand and I hope you see the error of your ways. In time, I think we may even be friends." With those optimistic sentiments, the youngest ruler of Narnia headed back towards the castle, leaving a very disgruntled magical beast in her wake.

"Unlikely," was the word on his lips. Never would he give in _that _easily.

* * *

Hattie was washing. Finally. As soon as her meeting with the Pevensies had finished, Queen Susan had pounced on her. The Queen had been extremely apologetic about her lack of proper care. Hattie had protested, saying she was fine, but the older girl had insisted on getting her servants to help clean their guest up and find her clean clothes. While Susan was busy ordering her maids around, bustling in and out of the room, Hattie had not missed the amused smirk on King Edmund's lips as he left the pair of them. She was not sure what to make of it.

So that was how Hattie found herself soaking in a huge tub of wonderfully hot water, with a young female faun dragging the tangles out of her hair with a wooden comb. The faun had already lathered her sopping, wet locks in soap to help the teeth of the comb pass through her matted hair. Hattie couldn't deny it didn't hurt at first but soon she just grew used to the yanking and tugging, relaxing into the bath.

When her skin was pink from scrubbing and her cheeks red from the heat, Hattie found herself being bundled into a towel and dried hurriedly. Then, dressed in a warm robe, the girl was informed that her nightdress had been thrown away. Hattie was aghast. What on earth did she wear now?

This unspoken question was answered by the faun, who by now Hattie had discovered was called Lilyleaf, as she brought out an interesting looking dress from a wardrobe. Whereas most girls would have squealed in delight at being giving such a dress and proclaimed how wonderfully lovely it was, Hattie was less convinced. Running an unsure hand through her newly combed hair, the youth eyed the dress warily.

"Miss Hattie." Lilyleaf stepped forward, holding the dress in her arms. Hattie stepped back. "Miss Hattie, this is the dress, her majesty Queen Susan, has kindly acquired for you. You must wear it." The faun's young eyes were encouraging.

Twisting her features into an ugly grimace, Hattie continued to stare at the dress as if would bite her.

"Miss Hattie, what on earth is wrong?" Lilyleaf was obviously losing her patience.

The dress was extraordinarily rich. Its velvety shimmer and flowing material could be seen even from a distance. The bodice was patterned with silver thread, intricate outlines of flowers and leaves weaving lines and spirals onto the fabric. Its sleeves were long and ballooned at the elbow to give a wide, loose cuff at the wrist. Hattie could see the layer of silvery underskirt beneath. It was very simple but still so rich.

Even its colour suggested wealth and elegance. Cobalt blue. Hattie could imagine it looking unbelievable on the beautiful, slender Queen Susan but on her? No way.

At home she always wore understated, plain brown or green dresses and skirts. This was out of her league.

Besides, a nagging feeling in the back of her mind was reminding her of her brother. Why should she enjoy such finery and splendour when her little, vulnerable brother was suffering? It wasn't fair. Suddenly, Hattie didn't want to spend a second longer in this castle, no matter how magnificent it was and how friendly and generous its people. She didn't belong and that was that. She needed to find Rupert, _now, _and go home.

Shooting her poor, befuddled maid an apologetic look, Hattie swept from the room. There was no way she was going to put on that dress; she would find something else on the way. Perhaps a flour sack? That would certainly not be excessive and self-indulging. Though maybe she should have put something on other than the robe. No time to go back now though, she needed to leave Cair Paravel. She would find her brother alone and not waste anymore time playing dress-up.

It was as she rounded a corner that she crashed headlong into something, or someone. Burning pain scorched her face as her nose connected with bone and she fell backwards, landing hard. Blinded by scarlet blood, Hattie coughed and spluttered.

"By Aslan!" a voice cried and instantly the teen felt a presence by her side and a gentle hand removing her own hand from where she was trying to stem the bleeding. "Tip your head forwards. Don't do anything else."

Mortified, Hattie watched as blood dripped steadily onto the cream robe, pooling into a hideous stain. What would Queen Susan say?

It was as the blood cleared from her vision with the help of a handkerchief handed to her, that the young girl realised who she'd smashed into. And she reeled. A pair of dark brown eyes stared into hers, concerned, a splash of childhood freckles peppered his handsome face. King Edmund. God, no!

"Are you alright?" his tone was kind and caring but Hattie wasn't fooled. She tensed as he touched her tender nose. He mistook her flinch for pain and apologised profusely. "You know, I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were coming round the corner…well obviously otherwise I wouldn't have collided with you but…" Edmund was aware he was babbling and stopped. He studied the girl in front of him instead, willing his mouth to stay shut.

"I…" Hattie paused, "It was my fault, sire, I wasn't looking where I was going. I should have been more careful. Sorry." The girl was surprised when her voice came out stuffy and slurred. Obviously the blood was affecting her speech.

A small grin edged its way onto Edmund's face and he struggled to school it.

"You know, we seem to be making a habit of this…"

"Of what?" Hattie asked sharply.

"Of meeting when you are only half dressed and covered in blood. It is very improper of me to keep seeking you out when you are at your least best. Though I suppose I did cause this last one." His chestnut eyes sparkled with mirth.

Hattie stared, astounded.

***sigh* I love Edmund..........................Review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Sorry this has taken awhile to come. I have an excuse. I went walking at the weekend and we walked for 12 hours straight on Saturday and covered over 24 miles. Though the 12 hours did cover a lot of getting lost. :) We were out still at past 11 and then the next day I had to get up for 9:30 to play badminton. I played four matches and won my singles! Whoop! My first ever County Match! So chuffed! My legs ache like hell now though and I have to hobble everywhere. **

**Thank you for reviewing Queen Su and yetti.**

**Ok, so this is just a transitionary chapter. Not a lot happens but I just wanted to increase the bonding and understanding of some of the characters. It also makes up for the distinct lack of Sharp last chapter. :D REVIEW! And sorry for shortness!**

Sharp was rather put out. Whilst Hattie was gallivanting around the castle, enjoying herself, he was here slumming outside. He knew he had turned High King Peter down for a room; foxes didn't need _bedrooms_, what a stupid notion. But he didn't like being excluded from people, well; actually, if he was being truthful he didn't like being separated from Hattie. Considering he was a self-confirmed hermit he had grown unnaturally attached to the human. For instance, he really should have left Cair Paravel by now to continue roaming the forests but instead he had hung around. He had delivered the girl to her destination and yet he couldn't let go. Not yet.

However, the reception he had received from the castle's many staff and residents – other than the monarchs themselves – was far from civil. To begin with they had been fine but when he had ventured outside, wandering the courtyards and exploring the grounds, he had been greeted with nothing but hostility. He had been shooed like some common, dumb animal. None of them trusted him the slightest.

Sharp assumed this animosity was to do with his ancestry and unfortunate similarities to the wolves who had served under the White Witch. Such treachery and deep wounds could not be erased easily. Vaguely, he remembered his mother talking of how his father had been resented and shunned because of his appearance. Even after all he had done for the creatures of Narnia. Nevertheless, he would have thought that hatred would have died out in the last three or four years.

What really got his goat was that Hattie hadn't even come out to check up on him. Instead he was left with her ridiculously dumb dog for company.

Whilst Sharp rooted in the undergrowth for tasty grubs and insects, the stupid canine would watch him with those big brown eyes. The fox was sure he could detect mocking in the animal's gaze. Barney wasn't cast out by the other Narnians, he wasn't an unwanted guest, he was Lady Hattie's pet. Sharp was a dirty, wily scoundrel.

That could be another reason, the fox supposed, for his rejection, his appearance and maybe even his reputation. He wasn't the most honest of creatures, if truth be told, and he'd had his fair share of run-ins with the law of the land. It wasn't his fault though; he had to do those things to survive. The foxes' code was to look after oneself before thinking about others. Unfortunately that meant dodging rules that good citizens followed: steal the odd meal here, get into a scrap there. Sharp had more old war wounds than he cared to count.

"_Will _you _stop _staring at me?" The fox finally lost his cool and snarled at the golden beast who gazed serenely at him, amusement twinkling in his eyes. Sharp felt his hackles raise and his entire form tense with anger.

Barney merely let out a bark of a laugh and wagged his tail.

With an irritated flex of his bushy scarlet tail, Sharp prowled away from the vexing creature and found himself nearing the forest boundary. He hadn't realised how far he'd travelled from the castle in his search for bugs and his plight to escape Barney. Something caught his eye and he saw a massive, dark shape outlined against the green of the trees. Immediately he recognised Kolfinna.

Sharp didn't really get on with the great winged-horse either but even he was preferable to Barney. Bounding over to the towering beast, the fox was looking to initiate a conversation.

"Good day to you, my good horse."

"What do you want?" Kolfinna asked, sharply.

"And what makes you think I want anything from you?" Sharp paused, perturbed by the horse's unfriendly greeting.

"Why else would you approach me?"

"Would it ever occur to you that I just wanted a conversation?" The russet fox queried, indignantly.

"You have courage, fox, or else you are just plain foolish."

"What do you mean?" Now Sharp was even more perplexed.

"To initiate a conversation with me."

"I was just bored actually," Sharp retorted, smartly, "Anyway, why should I be afraid of you? You are just a horse….who happens to have a pair of ruddy great wings."

"All my life I have been avoided," Kolfinna stated, solemnly, "Creatures shy away from me. They believe me strange, hostile, dangerous…."

"Well, you don't come across as the friendliest of fellows."

"And you wonder why?" The horse murmured.

"Yes I do actually, what right do you have to call us 'lowly creatures'?" Sharp may not have partaken directly in the conversation on the way to the castle but his sharp ears had picked up on it. Even he, who had not been on the receiving end of the stallion's harsh words, had smarted at his obvious dislike.

Kolfinna let out a snort. Sharp wasn't sure if it was of derision or something else. Still, he felt the fur prickle on the back of his neck.

"I suppose I don't have a right," the horse said after a pregnant pause, his majestic head hung low, "But from what I have observed, my words are fully justified."

Sharp looked outraged. His small, sharp white teeth were bared unconsciously.

"Don't look at me like that, fox, I have seen more of you ground-dwellers than you could imagine. As I said before, I am a traveller, I view the world from above and what I see is not attractive. Stealing, killing, fighting, gambling, torturing, hurting, betraying, jealously….those are the qualities of lowly creatures. No self-respecting animal should partake in such disgusting behaviour."

"We are not all like that." Sharp wasn't sure when he found himself becoming the defender of his fellow animals but it seemed to have happened without him realising. He was also acutely aware that he, personally, was one of the despicable creatures Kolfinna spoke of. He had done numerous things on that list.

"Truthfully?" Kolfinna's eyes bore into his own and the fox found himself shrinking away from the intense gaze.

"_Truthfully_." Sharp nodded. "There are some good creatures out there. You cannot judge them all by some things you have seen on your travels. Everyone is unique."

"I have seen an awful lot, fox."

"And so have I."

"Oh?"

"You are not the only one to travel. I am a hermit. I journey around the country also. I may to travel as far afield but from what I've seen there are plenty of good people out there." The fox paused. "And this comes from the mouth of someone who's not one of those people."

Kolfinna stared at him for a moment. His large, dark eyes searching the small fox's russet face. Sharp stared boldly back, aware that one well aimed kick from the horse he was confronting could kill him as easily as crushing a fly. However, something in the back of his mind assured him that the stallion would not hurt him. It was this little voice that also told him that he needed to persuade Kolfinna that not everyone was bad. That was a terrible outlook to have on the world. Even for an unreasonable and proud horse.

"So, how do you tell if someone is good then?" Kolfinna finally questioned.

"You can just tell."

"What about your little friend then?" The great black muzzle jerked behind Sharp and the fox turned round. Barney was sitting a little way away, his head cocked uncertainly.

"He's just stupid," Sharp stated, plainly.

Kolfinna snorted, "And that's your expert opinion is it?"

"Yes."

**Okay! Sorry for the excruciatingly short chapter but as said above I wanted to develop some of the characters. Next chapter I _promise _there will be more Edmund and Hattie. :) That is if you REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note - Thank you to Queen Su for reviewing! Please don't everyone else desert me! I hope you like the chapter. Its a tad longer and more relevant than the last. Unfortunately, I only now realise that I neglected to include Sharp, Kolfinna and Barney. Again! Thats the problem with introducing too many characters, you just forget about them and they fade into the background. Message to self for next chapter: Include everyone!**

Hattie's head was severely muddled. She couldn't get her opinions straight and she was never usually one to struggle. It was an alien feeling to her, and not a very nice one at that. On the one hand, she believed King Edmund to be a selfish, treacherous boy who had betrayed his own family and probably caused the deaths of plenty of people. But that was the tale. She hadn't met the young man behind the name before she formed a judgment of him. That was one of Hattie's bad habits; she saw someone and immediately drew conclusions. Or heard some gossip about them and instantly believed it.

And now, she had met him and no matter how hard she tried to dislike him for what he'd done and be as cold and distant as she could, she found herself warming to the young King. He was charming and kind and extremely gracious. Hattie could barely ever find fault in his actions. She was the one acting grossly impolitely around him.

Still, she would have to wait and see before forming a final estimation of him. Besides, it hardly mattered what she thought of the monarch, what she needed to do was find her brother.

After her untimely and inelegant collision with Edmund, the young man had guided her kindly back to her own chambers and stayed with her whilst she was cleaned up by a rather irritated Lilyleaf. Hattie had been tremendously embarrassed throughout the whole process and just wished he would leave. She hated being made a fuss over; it made her feel uncomfortable inside.

When she had been tidied and made half-presentable, the faun had plied her once again with the presumptuous blue dress. Hattie visibly shied away from it as it was brought into her line of vision.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice no louder than a mouse's, "But could I please….not wear that dress?" The fact that the Queen's brother was present made the situation even worse and Hattie felt her face flooding with blood. Her throat tightened.

"It is rather grand isn't it?" Edmund said, standing up from where he had been sitting on a gilded chair with lions carved into the legs. He walked over to where Lilyleaf was holding the dress and inspected it. Hattie was amused to see the faun quiver slightly and a faint blush to rise up her cheeks. Obviously someone had a little thing for the young King.

"Just a bit," Hattie admitted, quietly.

"Su does like to go all out when it comes to guests but I think she could do with toning things down a tad. In this dress you could attend a ball."

"Yes," the girl agreed quickly, nodding her head, "And all I want it for is to wear!"

"Well obviously," Edmund turned to her and grinned, "What else are you going to do with it?"

Once again Hattie mentally kicked herself.

"That was a stupid thing to say but you know what I mean…" she tailed off.

"I do know what you mean and I'm sorry, Hattie, I was just being a know it all. If Peter were here he would be telling me to keep my 'quick' wit to myself and be polite and courteous to my poor lady guest."

"Oh, that's quite all right." Hattie had no idea why she was rushing to assure the King he was not offending her but her mouth had a mind of its own.

"Anyway, I'm sure….Lilyleaf, is it? Can find you a more suitable dress to your tastes. After all, we don't want you running round the castle in just a robe. Susan would be mortified."

Lilyleaf looked positively delighted that the monarch knew her name and completely forgot to be angry at Hattie for making her job more difficult. She made straight for the door.

"I will be back in two shakes of a satyr's tail," she promised, vanishing from the room. Once she had gone, Edmund turned to his guest.

"I shall leave you now to get dressed. I am sure you don't want me present for that. And my siblings and I will be waiting for you in the dining room…."

"But I…" Hattie interrupted - her eyes wide - but the young man held up his hand.

"Where we will discuss the matter of your brother in considerable detail over dinner (I am sure you must be hungry?) and then we can move swiftly on to the case of finding him. After all, we don't want you making breaks from the castle because you don't think we're moving quick enough, do we?" The coal-headed boy gifted her a knowing smile and exited the room. Hattie was left astonished in his wake.

She still had an awful lot to think about.

* * *

Edmund strode down the corridor and replayed the conversation he had just had with Cair Paravel's latest visitor over in his head. What in Aslan's namehad he been thinking? Why he did have the horrendous need to constantly make jokes and tease, yes _tease_, the poor guests?! He had seen her face when he had picked up on her rather silly statement. She had been humiliated. Looking back he felt even guiltier for putting her in that position.

And fancy Susan having laid out that extravagant dress for the unfortunate girl! He could understand why she had been so reluctant to wear it. Yes, it was pretty but it was really not practical, day wear. Hattie wasn't dressing up for a party.

Though Edmund was sure, had she decided to wear it, that the girl from his own world would look very nice in blue.

Wait! Where had that come from? Whilst he was walking, the youth physically shook his head with surprise. Hadn't he already surmised that he believed Hattie to be nothing other than mediocre and ordinary? Her looks were nothing to get excited about.

In his time as a King of Narnia, Edmund had been offered many suitors. These had been beautiful, _stunning_, women with lustrous hair, exquisite physiques, exemplary manners, huge fortunes and wonderful talents. But they all lacked a personality. Looking back, he couldn't separate one attractive woman from the next. They had merged into one.

Hattie was just _different _from them but he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Only time would tell.

In the meantime he really needed to rein in his sarcasm.

* * *

Peter registered that Hattie was agitated at dinner. He guessed everyone did. She barely touched her food, only picking at the chicken bones and nibbling a few bits of fruit. It seemed her mind and her appetite was elsewhere. Occasionally she would spare a glance out of the huge, glass windows that towered over one side of the dining room. Her brown eyes would become glassy and far away as she gazed out and it seemed nothing would snap her out of it short of someone speaking very loudly to her.

The High King wondered what she was thinking about. Her brother? How on earth she had come to be in a castle in a foreign land? Her home? All of those seemed likely options.

Sometimes he would attempt to speak to her but he felt bad for tearing her away from her dreaming. Surprisingly, she only seemed to speak to Edmund for more than one sentence. They actually were having a conversation and Peter was proud of his little brother for managing to cheer up their visitor to the extent that he heard her laugh.

It was as the dessert plates were being cleared away - Hattie's was still barely touched; her lemon tart practically still intact – that the message came. A large, billed pelican alighted on the window ledge and stumbled in through the open frame. He squawked loudly in order to get everyone's attention (not that he didn't have it already).

"Your majesties." The Pelican still had time to bow low despite his rush to deliver the message. "I come with startling news. My fellow scouts and I have discovered a camp, near the Dancing Lawn. It was well camouflaged but we are observant. My liege, I believe it is of Calormen origin. On closer inspection we found it housed over five hundred men. Enough for an army. They are tented and well set up, this would suggest they had been there for a considerable while. From the sounds of it they are in the process of making weapons."

Throughout this speech King Peter had remained silent and thoughtful; his blank face gave nothing away of his emotions or plans. However, he now asked.

"And is there anything else? Anything you noted will be of importance to us, dear Pelican."

The Pelican, who had heard of the prophecy just like everyone else had, closed his eyes once and then stared straight at his king, expression hard.

"There were several boys there, my lord," the great white bird said, "They did not seem to be from Calormen. One of them may well be from the prophecy."

"I feared as much."

**Wowie, how cheesy was that line? Ah well, had to be used. Good cliffie too. Review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks Queen Su and yetti for the reviews. Sorry for the long update: writer's block, school starting again, trouble sleeping and Jackass all feature in my excuses but I won't bore you. It would also help if _more _people reviewed to keep me going but there you go. So tired. Night.**

The castle was tense. Not that they hadn't been beforehand but now that the smell of war was on the wind everyone seemed to understand the urgency for things to start happening. New weapons were being welded in the armoury; soldiers were once again taking to the training grounds, plenty of secret meetings were being held, stratagems were being formed on large scale maps and scouts were being sent out often in an attempt to acquire more information about the enemy.

Not that King Peter wanted to go to war. Quite the opposite. He'd had enough of bloodshed three years previously and would much rather rule the rest of his days in peace and harmony. However, there was no way he was going to allow his kingdom or its people to be hurt and destroyed – this was a private promise he'd made to himself upon his coronation. Therefore if a war was what was needed then he would fight in it.

Before he charged headlong into this warfare, though, he would do as much as possible to avoid the conflict. For instance, although he was preparing his army, he would leave them behind to begin with and make first contact with the Calormens in a small, nonviolent party. His plan was to try and persuade them to leave but if that strategy failed then he would resort to battle and call upon all his troops.

The small party would consist of himself, Edmund – a good negotiator - Orieus and several other well trained fighters that, if it all went wrong, could help them escape from the camp. They didn't want to appear too imposing but at the same time they wanted King Levetine to get the message 'Keep out of Narnia'. It was a similar band to that which had left Cair Paravel the journey before.

Peter was currently sorting out his horse and supplies for the trip ahead, aided by several stable hands. At the same time he was discussing options with Orieus who was wise and a good mentor for the young king.

* * *

Inside the castle Lucy was arguing with Susan over why on earth she was not allowed to accompany her two brothers a _second _time in a matter of days. The idea of this envoy, she claimed, was to maintain peace so surely she should be permitted to go. Her elder sister shook her head and remained firm in her stance despite her sibling's upset. It was not safe for Lucy to attend the first meeting – not at all. The youngest Pevensie would remain at Cair Paravel with Susan and their guest, Hattie.

Lucy wasn't the only one upset about the abrupt departure of the brothers and the sudden eruption of warfare, Hattie was extremely frustrated and irritated by the turn in events. This meant that finding her own little brother would be postponed because the protection of Narnia was much more important than the recovering of a missing boy. She supposed she couldn't blame High King Peter for forgetting about her – he had a lot on his mind. Still, she couldn't help but think if they had set out in search for Rupert earlier then all this could have been resolved.

Now she had to wait until they returned – if they returned. Stuck in the castle and desperate the go out in search of her brother. Wait, maybe she didn't have to remain here. It wasn't as if they had ordered that she stay her and even if they had she didn't have to obey them, they weren't actually her monarchs after all. King George was her king. She could take matters into her own hands. Now she was more prepared for what was out there it wouldn't be so hard to survive alone.

Despite her belief that she wasn't confined to Cair Paravel and that she could leave when she wanted, Hattie decided that she would wait until the initial party had left and then leave herself. It would be less difficult and awkward that way.

* * *

Edmund was grabbing some stuff to take with him from his chest of drawers. He didn't need to take much but it was good to have some spare sets of trousers and tunics in case things went wrong. He dug out a green shirt. This was what he was going to wear now for at the moment his chest was completely naked. Tugging the smooth material over his head and sorting out the collar, the youth inspected himself in the mirror.

He hated looking at his reflection; all he saw were problems with his appearance: unruly hair which stuck up in stupid directions, a red spot here or a scratch there, his skin was always too pale. Whereas when he looked at Peter then he could see why all the girls liked him. His brother was very handsome and noble and that did annoy him. It couldn't be helped though.

Running a hand through his coal hair, Edmund sighed to himself and grabbed his leather bag off his bed. Then he strode swiftly from the room.

As he walked down the corridor, the young king almost tripped over Barney who had bounded round the corner just at that moment. He let out a gasp of surprise and Barney yipped and jumped sideways.

"Hello, boy," Edmund grinned at the animal and patted him; "You almost broke my neck then."

It was strange. Edmund felt like he hadn't had the company of a normal animal that couldn't talk in years. In all honesty he hadn't. Talking Animals _had _become the norm. He did remember the creatures which had lived in the world of Spare Oom and War Drobe. There had been cats that roamed the streets, birds which were kept in cages, squirrels which ran at the first sign of humans and dogs. Edmund had always wanted a dog but his father was adamant they didn't have time or space for one. He had long given up on the idea.

Looking at Barney now, the teenager recognised him as a golden retriever and a beautiful, glossy coated specimen at that. He had a broad head, a thick wavy coat and giant brown eyes. Edmund was reminded of melted chocolate when he stared into them, almost drowning in the depth, and suddenly he was thinking of Hattie. He blinked – hard.

Trying to regain his thoughts, the boy stroked Barney once again and smiled weakly at him. He was sure that the dog had no idea what he was thinking but still…..it was embarrassing.

A wet lick to his hand completely brought back his senses and Edmund remembered he was meant to be heading to the stables. Setting off at a run, the youngest king charged down the passage. Barney barked delightedly, thinking it was a game, and gave chase.

* * *

Hattie stared out of the window and spotted a dark head rushing across the courtyard towards the low slung building that was the castle stables - a dog followed him at a lolloping gallop but quickly got distracted by a wandering fox. Outside the structure stood several creatures ready for the journey ahead; the horses tossing their heads in anticipation. The girl recognised one bright chestnut stallion as Philip, Edmund's mount. The said king was the blur she had seen speeding across the cobbles, almost tripping up in his haste.

In all honesty, she was sad to see him go. She doubted whether she would see him again and somehow, despite all her misgivings, she had grown oddly attached to him. Once she had looked passed _his_ past it had been easy to like him. Not that she trusted him still. It would take a lot on his part for her to do that.

Edmund had reached his companions and had swung elegantly up into his saddle. Then the group had nodded to their farewell party and ridden out of the gates.

It was time Hattie was leaving too.

**I know they are still too stupid to make the link between Rupert and the prophecy but that will come....**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks to Queen Su and Dawn32 for their reviews! Whoop! And here is the next, rather dramatic (at the end) chapter. Well, not really...**

"_Where _are you going?"

The sudden, accusing voice made Hattie jump, startled, and tense up like a wild animal prepared to fight for its life. Her arms were held out in front of her, hands curled into strange claw shapes. For a moment she could see no one and then she spotted the familiar russet back of a fox. Sharp was looking up at her with his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Well?" he persisted.

"I…." Hattie stammered. When the fox stared at her with those intelligent amber eyes it was hard to say lie, she had a feeling that he would see right through her. She might as well tell the truth, after all it wasn't as if he had any loyalty to the others at the castle and would grass her up. She wasn't even doing anything wrong! She was just, "Leaving."

"Sorry? _What_?" An irrepressible smirk was working its way onto Sharp's pointed features. He was enjoying watching the human squirm.

"I am leaving," Hattie repeated more eloquently than before. She was shrugging a leather jacket over her small shoulders; it would serve as a good protector to future run-ins with the weather. On her back hung a bag of food and other necessities.

"_Leaving_?" Sharp's grin widened.

"Yes, and you can't stop me." Hattie hurried passed him and out through the large oak doors which led into the courtyard.

"I wasn't planning to."

"Good."

In the courtyard there were very few people. A faun would run across the cobbles with a message or else a couple of dryads would dance and laugh with one another. Some horses stood, tethered outside the stables, heads hung quietly as they waited for nothing in particular.

"But aren't you forgetting something?" Sharp asked, catching up with her and falling into step with the girl.

"No," Hattie replied.

"Barney?" The fox suggested his lip curling.

"Oh." Hattie's eyes widened and she whipped around, searching the open space for the animal she had almost neglected. She remembered he had been out here when the Kings had left.

Her eyes caught sight of him wandering happily between some of the statues, weaving his way in and out of them. His tail wagged in a carefree fashion. Immediately she called him over with a sharp whistle and he cocked his head and loped towards her.

"There," she told Sharp, "Now I'm going."

"Well, you could at least have the courtesy to invite me," the fox retorted, feigning a hurt look. Hattie shot him a surprised look.

"What?" he replied, nonchalantly, "I don't like this place much and I was planning on leaving anyway even if you weren't.

"But why would you want to come with me _again_. I don't even know why you came with me the first time, what's in it for you?"

"I'm truly offended. Would it really astound you that I couldn't just be wanting to keep you company, protect you from the evils that lurk in the forest? Why do I have to have another agenda? Why does _everyone _always think that?" Sharp finished looking thoroughly put out, his tail drooped and shoulders sagged. The two of them had come to a standstill.

"Come on Sharp. The 'I'm honest and only trying to help' act _really_ doesn't suit you. You can't pull it off." Hattie wasn't duped for a moment. A small smile curled onto her lips and she shook her head. "Don't act all sorry for yourself."

The fox's orange-brown face had the decency to look a tad ashamed but he smirked even so. He could tell that the girl would allow him to accompany her despite her mocking and scepticism.

"I suppose you can come. It would be good to have someone that actually knows the forest. Even if it is you."

"Oi," Sharp yipped but really he didn't mind. Once again he and Hattie - and that stupid mutt – would be off on an adventure. How cheesy did that sound? Still, he couldn't help be excited. His life hadn't exactly been eventful before this human turned up, he was glad of the distraction.

"Let's go."

"Is that all you're going to take?" Sharp gestured to her small rucksack.

"Yes."

"Shouldn't you take weapons, a horse? That way maybe we'll cover distance a _little _bit faster."

"I may be leaving, Sharp, but I'm no thief," the blonde girl snapped, her brown eyes hardening.

"You'll only be borrowing. Besides," the fox allowed himself a mischievous grin, "I have no doubt King _Edmund _wouldn't want to see you hurt."

"What's Edmund got to do with this? The response was instantaneous and Barney yelped, startled, by the intensity of it. He glanced at his mistress.

"Nothing, nothing, I'm just guessing the young King wouldn't want you defenceless in the wilderness."

"No, he wouldn't, but that's because he cares for all his people."

"Whatever you say, Miss Hattie," the fox's eyes glinted playfully.

* * *

Edmund rocked back and forth gently in his saddle, trying to get comfortable. That was the thing with riding everywhere all the time, although your muscles strengthened and your body acclimatised, there was still chafing. The rub on the Philip's back was almost getting too much to bear and soon he may have to stop and adjust things. Peter wouldn't be pleased; he wanted to move as quickly as possible without stopping. His aim was to stop the prospect of war in its tracks and to do that he needed to reach the Calormen camp before they launched an attack. Not that they wouldn't do that anyway once the Royal party arrived. Still, they had to try and Edmund should really stop thinking so pessimistically. He had a tendency to do that – a bad habit – but because of his past you couldn't really blame him.

Ahead of him he could see the dark, shining rump of Orieus between the gnarled tree trunks. He needed to concentrate on following that otherwise he stood a chance of getting lost. His navigation wasn't the best but with night falling fast it would be near disastrous should he lose the rest of his band. There was little doubt he wouldn't find them again until morning by which time they could be miles ahead.

Focussing on the centaur, Edmund found he couldn't help but immerse himself once again in thoughts so he could find distraction from the painful chafing.

He thought of the upcoming negotiation in which he would need to use all the knowledge and wisdom of his mere sixteen years to come to a peaceful conclusion. It would be hard, no doubt about it, he had dealt with Calormenes before and they were far from understanding and friendly. That was probably why they were beginning war on the quiet nation of Narnia. From what he had heard, and viewed, of their people they were bold and quite aggressive. They sought power. Not a good combination.

Edmund was just glad it was Peter leading the Narnians and not him. He would never cope.

Still, his brother was relying on him to at least try and reason with the power-hungry foreigners so he would have a lot on his shoulders then. Should he fail then Peter had his back that he could be sure of.

But this battle was different he reminded himself grimly. This battle was prophesied and the odds were stacked horribly high against them. Whereas before they had Fate on their sword and Destiny as their trusted steed, now their weapons had been stolen and turned to the other side. Here they were the underdogs fighting for survival.

Edmund wondered whether this boy, the foretold obliterator of kingdoms, really would be the key to his family and friend's future. How could one child hold such power? He must be truly evil.

If they could take this boy from the Calmorenes then maybe the result of the battle would be in their favour. Hopefully.

* * *

Hattie couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as she was confronted by the Minotaur. However, this time she doubted whether things would turn out as well as before. Things never happened the same way twice.

It was the black monster of children's nightmares with ghoulish eyes and huge, club-like arms. Massive horns practically speared the sky above its head as it towered over everything around it. And the sounds it was making…..they were bone-chilling – great roars and earth-shuddering growls. Hattie wanted to curl up into a ball and hope for the best. That wasn't the best idea she could come up with though; unless she was feeling particularly suicidal.

Barney was barking wildly at her side, aware of the immense danger but powerless to do anything about it. He'd already attempted to attack the beast but had been knocked back for his efforts.

Sharp was hanging back, his usual self-survival instincts kicking in – he needed to preserve himself, that's what his mind told him. His heart argued fiercely back but because of his inner turmoil he had frozen to the spot, amber eyes huge and fearful.

That was when the second black monster attacked. This one plunged from the sky like some terrifying black angel – wings spanned wide, blocking out the sun.


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks to yetti, Queen Su and unicorn_skydancer08 for their lovely reviews! Yay! I'm ill at the moment but hopefully the chapter won't suffer too much for it. Its funny cos I went on the computer planning to do ICT coursework and that just never happened. Ah well. **

Finally, fear overcame the young girl and she darted away, throwing herself on the ground. She hit the ground with a sickening thud, gaining a mouthful of leaves for her troubles. Still she kept her face buried in the dirt, not wanting to witness the death that was waiting to obliterate her. Blood rushed hotly in her ears and her heart pounded like a demented drum in her chest. Distantly she could hear Barney barking frantically.

After a moment, Hattie was aware that she was still alive – somehow. Nothing had crushed her skull or ripped off her head.

The teenager was reluctant to look up though, in case she would be met with a scene of carnage. She registered that her dog had stopped barking. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

Suddenly the earth shook beneath her and she was aware of a presence just beside her. With a dry throat and a still thumping heart, Hattie turned slowly over onto her back. And there, towering over her was the magnificent winged horse that had just saved her life. Standing tall and proud with his wings still spread wide Hattie couldn't help but be astounded by the vision of brilliance which was Kolfinna.

He observed her with cool, indifferent eyes; ears flicked slightly forwards. Then, slowly, he lowered his enormous head down to her in her prone position and looked at her intensely, touching his muzzle to her cheek. She found herself trembling beneath his burning gaze. As quickly as his demeanour had changed, however, the horse was once again aloof and distant.

Hattie's head was a whirlwind of confused thoughts but two things she did know: she was still alive and Kolfinna had come and saved her life all of his own accord.

Looking between the mighty legs of her saviour, the girl spotted the beast that he had just felled. The Minotaur lay face down on the forest floor – much like she had done earlier – with his snout hidden in the undergrowth. An ugly red gash could be seen on the back of his head where Kolfinna's hooves had struck and caved in his skull. His black fur was sticky and wet with blood. Hattie was glad that Kolfinna was on her side if that was the damage he could cause.

Just at that moment two other creatures appeared in her line of vision: Barney first and then Sharp (who had only just recovered from his frozen state). Immediately, her family pet was all over her, licking her face and the hands that tried to protect her face. The slobber was warm and gooey but not all unwelcome. It reminded her of her childhood and simpler days when she was little and Barney a puppy. They would play fight for hours, rolling around in the garden like wild animals. Hattie's mother used to get furious at the state of her pinafores and petticoats when she came inside after a day's frolicking. She would make Hattie stand in the kitchen and strip right down to her underclothes so she could wash the dirty things 'to make sure they didn't stain'.

Neither Hattie nor Barney cared at all though, no matter how much they were reprimanded or punished. They were playmates, litter-mates practically, and spent as much time together as possible.

Once Barney had finished his drool-addled check up, he backed away, golden tail wagging frantically.

Sharp was less forward with his greeting. Foxes never behaved like stupid dogs after all. It was ridiculous and dumb.

"Are you all right?" he asked, simply.

Hattie stared at him for a minute, her brown eyes still rather wide. "Yeah, Sharp, I'm fine. Thanks, for a second time, for your help." Her smile was weak but sarcastic nonetheless. The fox looked sheepish.

"Sorry about that but I knew Kolfinna here would save the day, right?" Sharp threw a glance at the huge horse that shot him a sceptical expression back. Hattie added her disbelieving snort to that.

"Well, I guess I should be thanking you then, Kolfinna." Hattie turned to the winged-creature with a grateful look on her features.

"That is quite all right, young one," Kolfinna said, "I said that I owed you because you helped save my life. This is my repayment of that good deed."

"Oh." Hattie looked rather put out; her mouth turned down at the corners. She had forgotten that the Narnian beast had only promised to stay with her because she had helped him. Now that he had repaid that debt then he probably wouldn't hang around. There was no need. "Are you leaving then? To go travelling again."

"I suppose so," the horse bobbed his massive head. Before Hattie could say another word to maybe somehow persuade the beautiful animal to stay with them Kolfinna had suddenly launched himself into the air. A large gust of wind came from beneath his flapping wings, buffeting the human violently. Her golden hair blew back, a tangle of curls. "It has been nice meeting you, Hattie. Maybe I will see you again some time." With that Kolfinna rose above the height of the trees and shot off into the sky and out of sight.

The trio left behind gawped after him – his departure had been abrupt and detached which had perturbed them slightly. Still he was gone now.

Hattie frowned a little to herself and then turned to her remaining companions.

"We may as well get moving as well."

* * *

They must be getting close to the camp now. To Edmund it seemed like they had travelled for days but it could have only been just over twenty four hours. That was twenty four hours of nonstop riding though. His legs ached terribly and he could tell that Philip was slowing with fatigue too. If they did not arrive soon then he would _have _to suggest to Peter that they stop and rest. It was unfair on the horses.

Up ahead he spotted a raven alighting on a branch and King Peter drew his horse to a halt to speak with it. The raven was large and coal in colour but his feathers held a bluish green tinge when the light caught them. Edmund couldn't deny it was a very beautiful bird even if the species were known to be very vicious and hostile. This one seemed to respect the High King however as he spoke earnestly and eagerly to the monarch. When he had finished his speech the bird launched himself into the air and vanished into the thick canopy. Peter then turned and beckoned to his brother.

"Apparently we are _very _close; the camp is literally about two hundred metres in that direction. I'm surprised they don't have guards or scouts looking out for intruders or enemy attack but maybe they believe themselves too well hidden." As Peter talked he was glancing around him, seemingly weighing up options, stratagems, plans of escape by the lie of the land and the density of the trees. Edmund watched his face interestedly.

"They underestimate us," Edmund said.

"They underestimate _Narnia_," Peter corrected. Then he shot a look at Orieus who nodded in return. Edmund was puzzled.

"I don't…"

"If it weren't for our unusual soldiers and scouts then we would have not a clue that the Calormen Camp was here. Our birds and other creatures of the forest are crucial weapons of which any leader would be proud to have on side. I expect that the Calormene's never even took into account the wildlife when they thought of spies. Narnia is unique in that respect."

"Yes, you are right." The younger boy nodded in agreement; glad of his animal allies.

"Now, I think it is time for us to plunge into the midst of the enemy."

"I'm ready."

"Are you really, Ed?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go."

* * *

As it happened a scout did appear from the branches of a tree, leaping down and confronting them there and then. The Narnian party all admired his bravery in meeting them all on his own. He stared them down with coffee coloured skin and a small, black beard; his face was youthful beneath an orange turban. As he approached he drew a long, curved blade from his belt and held it out in front of him. Although Orieus was about to do the same Peter laid a calming hand on his fighting arm and the centaur understood the message. They would not draw weapons because that would make them appear threatening. This was a peaceful meeting to try and bring back harmony to the two nations.

"Good day." He bowed his head slightly and jumped lightly from his horse so that he would be on a level with the boy. The Calormene looked nervous but he held his ground – the need to flee was apparent in his dark eyes though. "You need not be afraid," Peter continued, "I am High King Peter of Narnia. This is my country that you are standing in."

Edmund shot his brother a quelling look. Sometimes even the level-headed, composed Peter needed reining in and reminding of his mission.

"I have come to talk to your King about matters of our Kingdoms. I take it your leader is King Levetine?" Peter had deduced this from his meeting with the Calormenes he'd met a few days before who had supplied the name so kindly.

The scout's eyes had widened almost imperceptibly when Peter had announced his title. Obviously he had not expected the King of Narnia to appear on his doorstep without an army or any warning. He was struggling to know what to do. Then he remembered he had been asked a question.

"Yes, King Levetine is my King," the boy answered.

"And can I speak to him?"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps you couldn't wait here a moment whilst I go consult someone more senior." As he said this the boy was already backing away.

"Of course we'll wait."

"I'll be right back." The youngster vanished into the trees.

"Well that was a good start," Edmund stated, sarcastically.

* * *

They were admitted into the camp. Although the boy they had first met did not reappear several heavily armed men with gruff voices and bulging muscles came and collected them. They ordered them to leave their weapons at the edge of the tents before entering. Of course the band complied without complaint, surprising the Calormene's greatly.

Inside the camp, Edmund had to be impressed by how well camouflaged the foreigners had made their tents. Everything was covered with leaves, branches and green material where natural things would not suffice. Fires had been sheltered and well filtered so no smoke would broach the canopy and the men were, for the most part, relatively quiet. Even when they were practising sword-fighting, as the king noticed out of the corner of his eye, the blades were dulled and covered so as not to clink and clang. As Peter had said, however, their Narnian bird-spies were way more advanced than even this level of disguise. Nothing escaped them.

The group from Cair Paravel received plenty of looks as men stopped what they were doing whether it be eating, smoking, forming weapons, gambling, talking, practising… Edmund felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle with apprehension.

Eventually they were led, or you could say escorted, up to the largest tent in the centre of the camp. They all waited with baited breath to meet King Levetine, the man who was declaring war on them and planning the downfall of the Four.

He came out of the depths of the shelter, an over-regal, arrogant swagger to his walk. Edmund guessed immediately that he'd spent the last few minutes desperately dressing himself in something fancy so that he could seem extra impressive and noble. Compared to his men – dressed in plain clothes despite their bright turbans – Levetine's clothes were extravagant to say the least, he should be strolling around a palace rather than standing in a forest. The theme seemed to be fire for his robe was royal red, his tunic orange and trousers yellow. Each item was intricately embroidered with gold thread and sequins and beads which all sparkled in different lights. The patterns on his silk clothes were also very detailed and meticulously done. On his turban there was a huge golden brooch studded with a large, glittering ruby. This jewellery matched the necklaces hanging onto his chest and the bangles round his wrists. His fingers were also bedecked in finery.

As he came into the light he lifted up his chin and all the men surrounding the Narnian party immediately dropped to their knees, bowing their heads. Levetine seemed to smile smugly to himself.

Edmund wondered whether he too should bow to the man but he glanced at his older brother for guidance.

Peter hadn't moved a muscle; his jaw was set and his eyes hard as he stared steadily at the Calormen King. Blond hair ruffled by the slight breeze. With his back straight and his head held high the boy looked every bit a king as the bejewelled Levetine, if not more. His simple riding attire outstripped the older man in elegance and grace making Levetine look like an overdressed pantomime dame.

The High King of Narnia could be pleasant and courteous to his enemies but he would not bow down to them. They were level in his eyes so he had no reason to lower himself below them in status. Besides this was his country and he was proud to be its monarch.

Taking lead from his brother, Edmund remained standing too. He didn't miss the aggravated look pass across the tanned face of Levetine whose beard twitched uncertainly.

"Good morning, King Levetine, as you may have heard from your excellent scouts, I am High King Peter of Narnia and this is my brother, King Edmund. With us we have some of our most trusted subjects." Peter's tone was mature and strong – he was no coward.

"Ah, King Peter, we meet at last, _finally_, I have heard _so _much about you."

The deduction of the 'High' from Peter's title did not escape Edmund's notice. Obviously Levetine didn't want anyone being _higher _than him and having a more powerful title.

"That's funny. I have heard very little about you, my good King," Peter replied, smoothly, "In fact, it was only a few days ago that I even knew of your existence when I ran into a few men of yours in the forest. I have to admit I was a little upset by their hunting of my citizens."

"Your citizens?" Levetine sounded shocked. "I assure you that my men would never hurt another man without my permission."

Peter allowed a small, knowing smile to curl his lip, "But surely, my lord, you know that not all my citizens are human? In fact the majority aren't. My brother, sisters and I are of the minority in Narnia. As you can see by my band here, there is not a man in sight."

"I am sure my men would never hunt them…"

"Would they hunt the animals of the forest, though?" Peter asked.

"Why of course." A frown had worked its way onto the coffee-coloured face. "We have to eat, good King, as surely you do? Besides, I wouldn't class the animals my kingdom as citizens. They are prey."

"That is where our kingdoms differ, Levetine." Peter's eyes had suddenly turned steely. "Our animals are Talking Animals. They are just as much people as we are and I do not take kindly to you hunting them for meat. In fact, I do not take kindly to you being on my land at all without my permission."

"Ah," King Levetine smiled, his expression snake-like, "I was wondering when we were going to get to this."

"Are you planning to declare war on the peaceful nation of Narnia?" Peter asked, matter-of-factly. "Because if you are, mark my words, we will not give in willingly."

"I never doubted you would," King Levetine grinned, "But you see, _King _Peter, I _was _planning on fighting you, yes. You have that correct. Now though, I've changed my mind."

"You have?" Even the unflappable Peter sounded surprised.

"Yes, because now you have walked right into my hands and there is no point in going to war."

_Uh oh, _Edmund thought as he realised that the guards around them had moved in to surround them in a tight circle. All were grinning and baring sharp, lethal weapons; without their own swords and shields the small band would surely lose. This had definitely been a bad idea in retrospect. They really should have thought it through better and maybe Edmund should have tried to negotiate more rather than leave it all to Peter.

"And with you captured the rest of Narnia doesn't stand a chance. Your sisters may remain at Cair Paravel but they won't stay safe for long. They can't raise an army on their own. And after all, you have just fed me the most important information of all: Narnia is full of Talking Beasts and now I know I should kill them all if I want to be rid of every bit of Narnian scum."

Peter's face was aghast.

**Don't worry guys, Kolfinna is not gone for good! :) Though that probably wasn't the main promise of the future you wanted to hear, was it? :D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks to Lilagirl, QueenSu and Dawn32 for their kind reviews. I'm sorry for not updating in ages. I've been really busy and ill and haven't actually been on the computer in awhile cos it made me feel queasy looking at the screen. Anyway, here's the update!**

Peter was manacled and gagged, his back straight against a slim wooden post. His cheek hurt from a malicious thump from one of the guards. He was chained in the middle of the camp for all to see, that way Levetine could gloat over his victory and show off to his men. Peter tried not to be humiliated. He tried not to feel ashamed. It was hard though, to be ridiculed, he was used to being respected.

The young man continually berated himself for his naivety and stupidity. He couldn't get over the fact that he'd simply walked into the Calormene's waiting arms. They hadn't even had to try. Now he was trapped and Narnia was in peril.

He wasn't sure where they had taken his men or Edmund; they had been dragged off in another direction. Peter hoped his little brother would be all right but he didn't know what King Levetine was planning to do with them. If he dared lay a finger on Edmund's head he would be sorry though.

Whilst he sat there, his head throbbing in the midday sun, Peter thought about his sisters back at Cair Paravel and the threat that Levetine had lain upon them. The Calormene was right, there was no way that Lucy and Susan could raise an army to defeat them but he hoped they did have the sense to run and hide – get away before it was too late. He couldn't live with himself if anything happened to them.

Perhaps this really was the end of their reign. Perhaps the prophecy had come true and Narnia was lost forever. What could he do in this position anyway? Death was imminent. Levetine wouldn't want to keep him around for long.

Knocking his skull gently against the hard wood, Peter squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to Aslan.

* * *

The Calormene's were rough. They pushed, shoved and threatened the small band in the direction they wanted them to go - which was away from Peter. Edmund hated that. His brother was soon out of sight. The boy received several unkind kicks and slaps as he was herded, along with a couple of fauns towards a tent. However, as they reached the shelter, the young King was separated from his friends and ushered into the structure. Frowning, Edmund tried to turn back but he was smacked painfully in the back of the head for his troubles.

The last glimpse he got of Orieus and the rest was as they were tethered outside like common animals. A lance of white hot anger shot through Edmund at that. They didn't deserve to be treated in such a way. His cheeks burned with fury.

"In here little king," a soldier sneered meanly and thrust the coal headed youth onto the ground with more force than was really necessary. Edmund hit the earth with an unpleasant shudder through his shoulder. He glared fiercely up at his captor. "I hope you don't mind the ground, your _majesty_, because that is where you are going to be sleeping for the foreseeable future." The man smirked. Then he bent down and attached Edmund's foot manacle to a post in the ground rendering the boy trapped. "I'll be back later – perhaps."

And then the younger king was left alone, sitting in the darkened tent with his leg sprawled out to one side. He pondered his situation; it was not good.

Even if he did work out a way to escape from his bindings, there was little hope after that because how was he supposed to fight an entire army singlehandedly? He would have to work out some ingenious was to slip, undetected, around the camp in order to free each of his comrades from imprisonment. That was if he wasn't already too late. Peter could already be dead. A chill went through Edmund's bones.

Then he mentally shook himself, he couldn't afford to think so pessimistically, he needed to believe that everything would work out. You couldn't go into battle thinking that you will lose because then the fight _is _lost before it's even begun. He should think about this the same way. Rather than wallow here in misery and despair he should be attempting to think up some extremely clever way to escape with which he could gloat to Peter about when they were both out of here alive and well.

Edmund's eyes wandered the gloomy interior of the tent, blinking in the pinpricks of sunlight that seeped through the holes where the material had been woven together.

Someone coughed.

That was when the young king of Narnia realised he wasn't alone.

"Hallo?" he called "Who's there?"

At first there was no reply and Edmund had to strain to try and see where the noise had come from. He then picked out what he had not noticed before: hidden in the shadows, almost obscured from view, were people. Or more precisely children. At least ten sets of eyes stared back at him with equally fearful expressions.

Edmund was astounded. King Levetine had really covered all his options in collecting all these boys in an attempt to fulfil the prophecy. Any one of them could be the 'chosen one' who would bring Narnia to its knees. Was that why the Calormene king had succeeded so easily in their capture? Because he already had the child from the prophecy? Maybe that would explain things.

If that was the case then the Pevensie king really needed to find the boy and, most likely, kill him. That would solve all of their problems. However, could he really murder a mere child for being part of a conspiracy he had no choice in? That was a decision that Edmund dreaded making and therefore he would wait until it was time before coming down on either side. Killing in war was different to killing in cold blood.

Besides, how on earth could he tell which one was the prophesised boy? What would make him stand out from the rest?

As all these thoughts vied for space in Edmund's head, the youth suddenly realised that perhaps he should initiate a conversation with the other prisoners rather than sit there arguing with himself.

Running a tired hand through his distressed hair, the teenager spoke.

"Well, hello, I'm….Edmund," Edmund said. He decided against mentioning his status although they probably knew thanks to the taunting of the guard earlier. "How long have you guys been here?"

"Days," came a bitter reply and there was a murmur of agreement, "It's hard to tell how many because they jus' merge into one."

The boy that was speaking had brought his face out of the shadows and Edmund could make out a long straight nose and serious eyes.

"And what's your name?"

"Timothy," the boy stated.

"And how did you come to be here?"

"Same way we all did, we were ki'napped and brought to this place through a port'l. Weren't that how you got here?" Timothy was frowning now, his brow furrowed with concentration.

"Yes, exactly," Edmund agreed. So these boys _had _come from their old world: the world of war, famine and bombings.

"Bad luck," Timothy smiled sympathetically.

"So have they told you what they want you…us for?"

"Nope, we haven't a clue why we're here nor in fact _where _we are, do we boys?"

There was a unanimous negative response.

"Its 'opeless," one boy supplied, sadly.

"I want my mummy," another cried.

"There, there Jimmy, you'll see your Ma soon enough."

Edmund raised his eyebrows at this. How could Timothy have any idea when or even if Jimmy would see his mother again? They could be stuck here for the rest of their lives. However, he realised by the surreptitious glance for support he received from the young boy, that Timothy was merely making promises to keep their morale up. He really had no idea.

"Do they feed you in here?" Edmund asked, curious as to the Calormene's prison etiquette.

"On occasion. Tends to be bread and water so don't expect nothing grand. Them nasty bints don't like making us too comfy just in case we get too happy and try and think of escape. "

"No, I guessed as much."

The young Narnian king was revelling in the familiarity of the boys' Cockney accents and slang. He hadn't heard such language in years, he realised that he had schooled his old common accent to one of royalty and by doing that he'd lost part of his home. The presence of London boys was refreshing despite the situation.

"So how come you came after us?"

"Oh…." Edmund paused, struggling to come up with a plausible excuse, "I escaped when they first got be and wandered round the woods for a time. They caught me in the end though."

"Good on ya." Timothy grinned, admiringly.

Edmund needed to do some more digging. He was certain that if Peter was here then he would have already deduced whether one of the boys was the one they were after or not. He was clever like that.

"So, have you met the man who captured you yet?"

"What, you mean that King Levetine guy? I don't like him. I mean who claims to be a monarch when we all know that King George is king. I told him as much in fact and he weren't best pleased, I'll tell you."

"So you have met him?"

"Met him, yes. Liked him, no."

"But did he do anything with you like; I don't know, test you or single anyone out?"

"No, he asked us a load of questions but that was about it."

"Oh."

The group lapsed into silence because Edmund had run out of questions and Timothy seemed to have bored of talking. Nevertheless, the boys had ventured out of the darkness on the other side of the tent and were now closer to the newcomer, eying him with interest. They were all manacled like him but with greater leeway – although Edmund could see the ugly, painful gashes ringing their ankles from the sharp metal.

Now they were nearer he could see they varied quite a lot in age. The youngest of the children seemed to be about four and the eldest fourteen. Therefore that rendered them all younger than him. Timothy was the oldest and the seemingly self elected leader and spokesperson. Fortunately the others didn't seem to mind.

A lengthy amount of time past by and no one spoke, everyone seemed preoccupied in their own thoughts, Edmund especially. All the boys were worried about what would happen next and whether they would live to see another day. Edmund sorely wanted to see his brother safe and sound.

Finally, the silence was broken.

"What's that?" A quiet voice queried with soft excitement.

"What's what?" Timothy asked, shuffling towards where a small boy was peaking out of a tear in the tent. His eyes were huge in the glare from the sunlight.

"_That_," the voice whispered again, edged with adulation. He moved away from the hole so that the older boy could look.

Edmund watched on with interest.

"Christ almighty," Timothy gaped, "S'friggin' great horse."

"But it's got a man's head," the little boy corrected.

"Yeah, I can see that. What in God's name is it?"

"It's a centaur," Edmund smiled slightly to himself.

"A centaur?" Timothy repeated in an incredulous tone.

"Half horse half human. They are common creatures in Narnia."

"Well, they ain't common in England, are they?!"

"I've read about centaurs, in a book," the little boy who'd initially spotted the centaur said. "He is really very big and beautiful."

"His name is Orieus."

"And how do you know?"

Edmund realised that he'd given away his identity. _Damn…_


	21. Chapter 21

**This is dedicated to Sam. Thanks for the reviews.**

The sky was darkening. Black, angry clouds were rolling in and blotting out the once glorious sunshine that had bathed the forestland of Narnia. Among the ancient trees, three figures progressed weaving in and out of the thick trunks. Several woodland animals scurried in the undergrowth and scuttled up the rough bark of the trees to reach the safety of the gnarled branches. Bird cries were scattered in the air as they flew back to their nests, seeking shelter from the oncoming storm.

Hattie upturned her face to the bleak sky and blinked as a large, bloated raindrop landed on her nose. Then she breathed out heavily. The weather here was ridiculous. In her time here there had been sun, snow and rain – no wonder the royal family had so many changes of clothes if they were to brave these harsh conditions. Fortunately, the girl now had some more heavy duty clothes than her thin night gown in the form of a travelling dress and a cloak. They weren't waterproof though so Hattie hoped that the thick canopy up above would protect her from the impending downpour.

She pulled up her hood and glanced down at her companions who were wandering along beside her: Barney with his head down, his tongue lolling out and something akin to a grin on his furry muzzle whereas Sharp was busy hopping over tree stumps and roots, snaffling up insects that dared venture to the surface from their holes. His amber eyes were alert and intensely focussed.

And then the rain began in earnest.

"I'm wet," Hattie stated, plainly.

Sharp gave her a wry look. "You're not the only one."

He shook himself and hundreds of droplets flew off his spiky russet coat.

"Why does it always rain everywhere? It's depressing. I mean, I live in England; it always rains there. And then I come here and it rains here." The girl's face was full of bitterness as she wiped the wetness of raindrops from her cheeks.

"Oh, your life is such a misery." Sharp stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Shut up, Sharp." Hattie shot him a filthy look.

"I mean, it's not like there aren't bigger problems in the world than the weather..."

But Sharp was cut off abruptly as he saw that Barney had frozen up ahead of him with his snout pointed into the air and his tail erect. Then the animal glanced back at the two of them with anxious brown eyes. He barked once; gruff and low. Sharp immediately interpreted the sound as 'danger'. He jerked his head at Hattie and gestured for them to hide. The three of them dived into a nearby thicket.

It was strange how the once carefree golden retriever had now become a seasoned protector. He had lost his naivety and friendliness to strangers. The dog could sense danger where he once would wander blindly into it without a thought. Which was good for his bickering companions.

Crouching in the undergrowth, Hattie peeped out between some holly leaves, careful not to scratch herself on the sharp spines and looked to see what had spooked Barney so badly. She wondered whether it was a Minotaur, another one roaming the forest and looking for fresh blood or some other nasty mythical creature on the hunt, hungry and vicious. What she did see however, she didn't expect.

It was a group of men. They were riding on horses and heading in the direction she had just come from. She frowned. Peter had said that there were few humans in Narnia and those were usually lonely travellers or traders. Those men certainly hadn't looked like traders – they were soldiers, each armed with several terrifying weapons. Those people must be the Calormenes. The ones who wanted to go to war with Narnia and bring the downfall of the Pevensies. But what were they doing heading towards Cair Paravel? Surely Peter and Edmund would've diffused the situation by now.

Perhaps not.

Hattie suddenly found herself entertaining the idea that things had gone terribly wrong. She was certain that King Peter and his entourage must have reached the enemy camp by now and if there were Calormenes heading to the Palace without them then that must mean trouble. Especially considering they were so heavily armed. As if to confirm her suspicions, she heard a snippet of conversation from the passing men.

"So there's no one guarding the place?"

"No, the kings are both here and so are their best fighters. They're helpless." This was said with a malicious smirk. Hattie shivered.

So either this was a secret attack upon Cair Paravel and Peter was still involved in negotiations with King Levetine, unaware, or the Kings had been captured and could do nothing to stop the impending invasion. Whichever it was, things were not looking good. Narnia did have an army but because of the peaceful status of the nation at the moment, the soldiers were living out their normal lives with their families. There was no need for them to be on constant guard. And the defence that would be left at the Palace would be minimal; open to attack.

Once the small army had moved on, Hattie turned to her friends. Sharp was looking back at here with an expression that she assumed must be identical to hers. Panicked.

* * *

Edmund found himself looking at several sets of suspicious eyes. Timothy, especially, looked distrustfully at him. Here, they had been spewing all their hearts out to him and it turned out that he knew more than he was letting on. It seemed _he _wasn't who he said he was.

"You a spy?" Timothy immediately asked.

"No, certainly not."

"Then 'ow do you know wha' 'is name is?" There were several murmurs of agreement among the group of boys. It was time to come clean.

"Because he's my friend."

"Your friend? Don't joke with us, mate."

"I'm not from your world, well I am but...I've been here a long time. I live here." Edmund found himself stumbling over his words in an effort to get them to trust him once more.

"You live 'ere?" One little fellow piped up, surprised. "Where is 'ere?"

"This is Narnia."

"Narnia?" Timothy repeated, his eyebrows rising.

Edmund smiled slightly. "Yes, this is Narnia. It's sort of alternate world to Earth. As you've seen the creatures are different; its magical I suppose. And yes, I do live here. I'm...." The boy paused and then decided that he would not reveal his true identity, his companions would either not believe him or perhaps even be fearful of him. Instead he said, "...a Narnian now but I used to come from your world. I lived in Finchley, London."

"I come from there!" a voice cried out.

"Shh, Freddie." Timothy quelled him. Then he turned to Edmund, his eyes alight with newfound interest. Obviously, he once again trusted Edmund having discovered that he had originated from England. Really, he was one of them. "Well, we gots a lotta time on our 'ands. You want to tell us abou' this place?"

"Sure." Edmund nodded, realising that it would pass the time and perhaps calm some of the younger boys down. "Well, Narnia began when a Great Lion called Aslan..."

* * *

Peter was trying not to watch the work that was commencing across the camp from him. He had watched the men with vague interest as they had gathered huge tree trunks throughout the day and then began chopping them up into various tidy lengths. To begin with he hadn't been sure what exactly they were doing.

And then all became clear.

A platform was erected and Peter registered that there was a trapdoor in the floor of it. His blood ran cold. Then the pillar was constructed initially on the floor and the levered up into place until the structure was unmistakable. A gallows. High King Peter of Narnia was to be hung like a common criminal. Levetine didn't even have the decency to execute him by beheading. Obviously he didn't want to do him the honour; didn't want it to be quick and painless. Peter guessed that he wanted to watch him suffer.

Now they were just making the finishing touches. Making sure the drop into the hole in the platform was long enough so his feet didn't hit the floor and so on. It made Peter feel sick just thinking about the feel of the rough rope on his neck and his feet leaving the floor. The feeling of choking. The gallant King had always believed he would die at war, fighting for his country, not on some measly gallows. He wanted a hero's death – if he had to die at all, that is.

He would be leaving behind his sisters, his brother, all at the mercy of the terrible Calormenes. There was little doubt in his mind that Edmund's demise would follow shortly after his. Perhaps even, the sadistic King Levetine would make his younger brother watch whilst he was hung or vice versa. Peter didn't think he could take watching his baby brother die – the stress and horror of that alone would probably kill him. And he doubted whether, after Levetine had killed both the Pevensie brothers that he would allow Lucy and Susan to live. The girls were helpless. Peter cursed himself for getting into this situation.

Suddenly rain burst from the swollen clouds up above in a torrential downpour. The soldiers abandoned their work and dived under the cover of tents. Peter was left alone in the middle of the camp, soaked to the bone by the freezing water, with only his impending death for company.

There was only one good thing, Peter decided, that could come of the rain and that was the fact King Leventine would not kill him until it stopped. He wouldn't want the weather ruining his special spectacle. That meant the young king probably had until tomorrow – at the latest.

* * *

Kolfinna braved the storm as it buffeted him mercilessly. The wind tore at his wings and the rain lashed across his face, stinging his eyes, but still he persisted. He needed to leave Narnia as quickly as possible. He couldn't stand to be around here any longer; the pull was getting too strong, the guilt was mounting. If he didn't leave now then he never would.

But would that be such a bad thing? His exhausted brain asked as lightening forked across the sky, frighteningly close to him. Why did he have to keep moving? Why would he not allow himself to make friends? To settle down? Could he really keep wandering all his life?

It was the girl that plagued his thoughts. The girl that was not afraid of him. The girl that had helped him when he was injured. The girl that just had _something _about her that Kolfinna had never encountered. And she was vulnerable despite her strength, despite her courage. She was still a puny, fragile human. As delicate as flower petal: easily torn, crushed or lost.

With that image in mind and the thunder rumbling overhead, the huge winged horse performed an abrupt change of direction.


	22. Chapter 22

**Please review! I miss you guys and am sorry for not updating for ages but now I really want to get this story finished. **

Once again, Hattie found herself in a dilemma. This time, however, it stretched three ways. A problem triangle. She was in a predicament; that much was certain. Her options were as follows: continue what she had been planning to do ever since she came to this godforsaken place and find her little brother so they could then work out a way to get home; she could return to the palace and try and warn the Queens of the danger before they were attacked; or attempt to sneak into the Calormenes' camp, wherever that was, and break the two Pevensie brothers out so they could save their sisters. It was tough choice.

Before, Hattie wouldn't have had a problem deciding what to do: her brother always came first. Now though, she had met the Pevensies, been welcomed and looked after by them. They had treated her so kindly that she couldn't just turn her back on them, could she? But if she did decide to help them then what could she do? She was a city girl stranded in a foreign land with no battle experience, no tactical expertise or skills. She was hopeless.

And therefore she should look for her brother.

No. She couldn't just leave them at the hands of these ruthless soldiers. It wasn't right. Her father had always taught her that she should always be brave and do what she could to help others. He always talked about the fact that you couldn't be a coward in the face of danger; if people needed you then you 'damn well helped them'. That's why, on that chilly December day, he had stood on the doorstep, kissed them all goodbye and, dressed in his khaki uniform, left for France. Hattie hadn't seen him since.

So, despite being absolutely terrified, Hattie narrowed down her choices. She could either go and warn the girls or see if she could find out what had happened to Edmund and Peter. Both options, in her opinion, were bordering on suicidal.

Perhaps, she should ask her companions. Well, one of her companions. The speaking one.

"Sharp, what are we going to do?"

The fox looked at her, cocking his burnt-orange head to one side. "Why are you asking me?"

"You have an opinion, don't you?"

"Do I?" Sharp repeated, mock surprise in his voice. "I had no idea!"

Hattie frowned at him. "Sharp, now's really not the time for jokes."

"Well, in my _humble _opinion," the fox said, "I think we should scarper now. We don't want to get mixed up in all of this. Let's find your brother and then you can go home."

Hattie had an inkling that that was the way her friend was going to reply. It wasn't a shock but she wanted to check, even so. Sharp was a fox, pure and simple, he didn't have any loyalties. She wasn't even sure he had a functioning conscience. Therefore it was incredibly unlikely that he would care about what happened to the monarchs, even if they were rulers of his own country. She didn't blame him though, it was instinctual to preserve oneself and not go out of your way to assist others in their plights.

The girl knew that she would just have to cut down on his options too. "We're either helping Susan and Lucy or Edmund and Peter."

"So my idea is a no go?" Sharp smirked. He too had known exactly how Hattie's mind was going to work. She was a good girl, a kind and caring human who would not stand by and see the suffering or pain of others. In fact, the fox had already resigned himself to helping out.

"Yes."

"I think we should help Edmund and Peter then."

"Why?"

"Because, for one thing, they're the closer of the choices and I can't be bothered to walk all the way back the way we came." Sharp grinned when he saw his companion's face. "Joking. Joking. It is closer though and that's a valid reason. We can reach them in time but we might not reach Cair Paravel in time. Those soldiers were on horseback. They're bound to be faster. Also, we don't really have any idea what is involved in protecting the castle and warfare. Therefore we need the Kings' help to save the girls. Save one pair and then the other."

Hattie nodded. "A logical choice. Thank you."

What Sharp had said had set things straight in her head. She needed someone to direct her and make the plan of action clear. The wily fox had done that for her. Now things made sense. They would save the boys – somehow – and then save the sisters.

"What about your brother?" Sharp asked quietly.

There was a pregnant pause. "He will have to wait."

* * *

"So you named after this King Edmund then?" one child asked, his eyes wide with admiration.

"I....work for him. I'm a soldier."

"And 'im and 'is brothers and sisters are the Kings and Queens of this place. Narnia." The words were a cross between a statement and a question. A clarification.

"Yes."

"And 'is brother, Peter, is out there?"

"Yes."

"Well, alrighty, we best 'elp this 'ere monarch, shouldn't we?" Edmund nodded, trying not to cringe at the terrible grammar in that one sentence. He really had become an educated snob in his time here!

"But 'ow we gonna escape, Tim?" several voices chorused.

Instead of answering, the elected leader turned to Edmund, his eyes questioning, looking for guidance. Edmund smiled slightly. Timothy had the boys' respect and would follow him to the letter and Timothy trusted him so perhaps, somehow, he could raise this very small army in order to escape and save Peter.

"Edmund?"

"All right, so it goes like this..."

* * *

Ravi was guarding the prisoners' tent. He'd never had such a prestigious position and he really, really didn't want to mess it up. All his friends were jealous of him for being specially selected by King Levetine himself to make sure no one went in or out of the tent without permission. When it had started raining, that had been a downside and Ravi had stood, shivering, in the ice cold water but he still waited, ever vigilant. Occasionally, he would hear a murmur or two from within the tent and would wonder what on earth they were talking about in there. But every time he leant closer to the scratchy material of the tent, they would stop abruptly, as if they could sense his curious ear. Eventually, he just gave up paying attention and focussed on the comings and goings of the camp.

Night was falling and therefore the men had stopped practising in the training area and had hung their weapons up in the armoury – a large, dark green tent in the corner of the camp – and were heading over to their respective fires in order to keep warm and have some supper. Lots of men were scrubbing in the fading light, pouring buckets of cold water from the river over themselves, before briskly towelling themselves. Ravi didn't see the point of the buckets of water; it was raining for crying out loud, a natural shower in itself.

Soon the centre of the camp was clear of men except for him and the pitiful figure slumped in the middle of the clearing, tied to a thick post. His head hung forward. Ravi wasn't sure whether this was because he was sleeping or whether he'd given up completely and let his head fall like that. Miserable and dejected. Silhouetted in the silvery moonlight was the outline of the ominous gallows and Ravi knew that was where the Narnian King was to be hung tomorrow. It was quite sad really, to kill one so young. High King Peter was only twenty years old or so.

Ravi wouldn't like to be in his position.

Registering that he was practically alone now, the guard sighed to himself and glanced up at the starry sky and then back at the earth. He was going to be relieved in six hours. That was a lengthy time to be stood still whilst being cold and wet. Quietly, Ravi jiggled on the spot. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

His eyelids were drooping. His chin was falling onto his chest and every time it did he jerked himself awake, blinking furiously. Then he would force himself to look at something, anything, to keep him alert and awake. But there was _nothing _to focus on. The night was completely silent and still, like a painting. Just as he was dropping off again, a shout came from inside the tent behind him. The guard spun on the spot, glancing warily at the door to the tent.

"Help!" The shout came again and this time Ravi didn't doubt he'd heard it. He took a step towards the tent flap. "Help! Please!" The voice was growing gradually more desperate.

"Hello?" Ravi called. His finger tips were on the rough material of the tent. "What's wrong?" He began to peel the flap back.

"Please, sir, help us!" A distraught child answered.

That was it. The guard knew that he had to go in there and discover what the problem was in case it was something important. The boy's voice had sounded so honest and heartfelt that Ravi felt that he had to help him.

The youth popped his head round the entrance. Glanced around once and, seeing no immediate danger, stepped in. His eyes sought out the group of boys who had gathered in a circle in the middle of the space. In the dim light it was hard to see what they were doing but it seemed they were looking at something. He squinted, picking out a dark shape on the floor.

"What's.....?" he began, unsure of himself.

"We don't know what's wrong, sir, he collapsed and he was writhing on the floor," a boy informed him. Then added with huge, anxious eyes, "I think he might be dying."

"_Dying_?" Ravi was ashamed to find his voice coming out rather squeaky.

"Yeah," a bigger boy nodded, "That there kid...'e is not very 'ealthy. Bit sickly if you know what I mean."

Ravi was still having difficulty seeing in the darkness of the tent, he stared down at the small form on the ground. He could just about make out the paleness of his skin in the moonlight filtering through the open flap of the entrance. His eyes were closed and Ravi had to say he didn't look great.

Suddenly, Ravi remembered who else was in the tent other than these little, harmless boys: King Edmund of Narnia. He was a threat. Cursing his stupidity, the guard spun round in a circle, his eyes searching for the missing monarch.

And he found him. A hunched shape in the corner of the tent.

"Do _you _know what happened?" Ravi asked the silent man. "In fact, have you got something to do with this?"

To begin with Edmund didn't reply and then he shrugged. "He collapsed. That's about all I saw. Why should I care, anyway? They're nothing to do with me. They're just peasants. Leave him to die. Whilst you're here though, could I have some water? And perhaps some food?"

Ravi suddenly found himself irrationally angry at the nonchalant tone of the king's voice. He thought these rulers of Narnia were supposed to care for people. Seems like that idea was a myth, an unfounded rumour. He was just a spoilt brat. Even so, the guard had the information he wanted. It did seem like this child had collapsed. And what was he to do?

He remembered, vividly, the intensity with which King Levetine had told him to make sure that nothing happened to any of those boys. They were as precious as jewels to him. He wasn't to lose a single one of them. However, Ravi had thought that was in terms of escape, not illness, and he hadn't let them escape. He didn't have any control over the boys' health so it was hardly his fault, was it? Levetine may not see it that way.

Now he was in a serious dilemma.

"Oi," the biggest of the boys said, "You better do somethin' quick or else he is gonna cop it."

"I'll-I'll go get someone."

"You can't leave 'im. Mate, 'e ain't gonna last that long," the boy stated earnestly, "You got them doctors out there? Then take 'im to them. Quick."

"Right, yes, right," Ravi nodded. He grabbed at the keys on his belt and shuddered as they jangled in his fingers. The noise was so loud and crass and abrupt. He found his fingers were shaking and he admonished himself, struggling to find the right one. "Give me his foot."

The skinny leg was presented to him. The large dark manacle ringing his ankle looking too big, almost comic, in its size compared to the bird-like limb. An ugly welt had been rubbed raw beneath the unforgiving metal. Ravi felt a tad guilty, for them treating helpless children in this way.

There was a click as the manacle came undone and then Ravi swiftly leant forward and scooped the small child up in his strong arms. He was astonished at the lightness of the boy. He wondered at the state of the food in the 'other world'. It could not be good. Not for a child to be this skinny.

"I will help him," Ravi informed the remaining boys and then hurried from the tent, his sword clanking against his chainmail as he walked – the child limp in his arms.

He wasn't really sure of the direction he was headed in. Did he go straight to the King, who must be still eating his evening meal, judging by the fire flickering in his tent, or did he hurry to the medical tent? Looking at the unconscious face of the youngster in his arms, Ravi knew which the best option was for his welfare. He began to jog towards the hospital.

Barrelling into the tent, Ravi spotted the overnight doctor, just checking on one of the very few patients in the bay. This patient in particular had a bad infection of the foot and therefore was bedridden until it healed. The doctor was checking the dressings whilst the soldier slept. He looked up, his eyes wide, when he heard Ravi charge into the structure. For a moment, he seemed shocked, and then he caught sight of the boy in the guard's arms.

"What happened?" The doctor questioned, immediately moving towards the pair.

"Um...the prisoners said he collapsed and then began writhing on the floor."

The doctor took the child from the guard's arms and placed him gently on one of the hospital beds. On the stretch of wood that was meant for full grown men, the boy was dwarfed even further. He didn't move once. Ravi was worried that he was already dead. The doctor felt for a pulse.

"His heartbeat is very fast and his breathing shallow."

"Is that bad?"

"It's hard to tell. It's usually not a good sign."

Ravi gulped. "Just help him, Kaeso, I don't know what Levetine will do if he finds out that I let one of the boys die."

"Just go back to your post, Ravi, I've got this."

The guard nodded and left.

* * *

Peter had seen the dark figure vanish first into the prisoners' tent and then appear a couple of minutes later with a bundle in his arms. When the young monarch had seen a leg dangling in the air, his heart had jumped into his throat, wondering whether they had already murdered his brother. No. It couldn't be Edmund because it was too small. Then it must be one of the boys. Was it _the _boy?

He had watched the guard cross the space in the centre of the camp and then enter another tent. He seemed in a rush so it must be something serious. The king really wanted to know what was going on. Perhaps he should just ask.

As the figure once again appeared in the night and seemed to be going back to his post, Peter called out. "Guard, what is going on? Is that boy ill?"

The man seemed startled. He glanced nervously around him and then spotted Peter.

"Not that it's any of your business but he's collapsed."

"Oh, thank you."

Collapsed. That seemed unlikely. Too vague; easy to fake. Peter could smell action on the breeze.

**Please, please, please, please review!**


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